Caged in for Arcola Theatre’s controversial Thebes Land
|How could anyone kill their own father? One of the rarest and most shocking crimes known to man is probed in this daring new play, with the on-stage participation of convicted patricide Martin Santos.
An electrifying tale about retribution and justice, love and masculinity, Thebes Land has played sold-out runs in eight countries worldwide. I comes to London’s Arcola Theatre for four weeks only from November 30 and will be staged inside a large protective cage.
Director Daniel Goldman adapted the play after seeing the original production in South America, where it played several sold-out runs.
It stars Trevor White (Long Day’s Journey Into Night, West End; Enron, Royal Court) and Alex Austin (Fury, Soho Theatre; Yen, Royal Court) along with Martin Santos.
Franco-Uruguayan playwright Sergio Blanco, one of Latin America’s most exciting voices, teams up with award-winning director Goldman to tease the boundaries between truth and lies, what you know and what you think you know.
Said Goldman: “When I saw the original Uruguayan production of Thebes Land at a festival in Colombia, I came out physically shaking with joy at what the play was doing.
“It’s both a play about patricide and play about making plays. It’s very funny, very clever, very moving – at its heart it’s an impossible love story – but above all else, it’s a play that twists, turns and surprises throughout, juggling different layers of reality.
“It’s like a Charlie Kaufman-esque mash-up of The Shawshank Redemption and Inception, and so much more. My hope that it will leave audiences as thrilled and excited about theatre as I was when I first saw it.”
Thebes Land runs at the Arcola Theatre from November 30 to December 23. Contains strong language and violence. Suitable for 14+.