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+.