Pre-Paradise
Sorry Now
By Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Translated by Denis Calandra
Directed by Ron Meadows
22nd March - 24th March 2012
Reviewed by
It proved to be a memorable first visit for me to the Lantern Theatre
venue on Blundell Street, based within the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool,
with a chilling interpretation of human brutality, related to the infamous
"Moors Murders" in England in the 1960s.
With a cast of 16 (all Second Year Single Honours students from Liverpool
Hope University), including two playing the parts of Ian Brady and Myra
Hindley - the others all wore, I am not sure why, white shirts and red
ties.
It contained a series of fifteen scenes (the 'centres'), with the central
plot revolving around the demented ravings and actions of Hitler admirer
Brady, who wanted to set up a neo-fascist state.
Around them there is spun out a series of grotesque sub-plots involving
prostitutes, transvestites, crooks and thugs, who enact cycles of violence
and exploitation, representing the horrific actions of mankind, then and
now. The heart of darkness indeed.
Some of the short scenes are repeated three times, but with the use of
less physical activity after the initial one. This repetition did not
add any gravitas to the play as a whole.
For more details about the Lantern Theatre go to
Comment left by Ron on 28th March, 2012 at 17:22 The reason for the white shirts and red ties was to reflect what boys wear at their first Holy Communion in The Catholic Church. This was done as there was a 'slight' religious aspect in the text.
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