Barbican new theatre from November

Published: 17 October 2020
Reporter: Vera Liber

Akin Artwork Credit: Akin Theatre

New productions from The Barbican start with The Ghost Light in the Theatre, a live experience, followed by We Cover the Universe on Zoom, an interactive, sensory show for the under-fives.

The Ghost Light, concept is by Purni Morell and Christian Roe, will run from 24 November to 5 December 2020 and tickets will be released through an online ticket lottery. An audience of one and up to five guests are invited to inhabit the space with an artist, as a 30-minute piece unfolds just for them. Anything from comedy to drama or dance to poetry may be performed.

Performers include: Marc Almond, Dickie Beau, Viviana Durante, Inua Ellams, Christopher Green, Jamie Hale, Shappi Khorsandi, C N Lester, Ursula Martinez, Patrick O'Kane, Theo (Godson) Oloyade, Maxine Peake, Tom Randle, Christian Roe, Selina Thompson and Michelle Tiwo.

Akin's We Cover the Universe runs 10–20 December 2020 via Zoom in an interactive, sensory online show for the under-fives and parents or carers and extended families. Dot is feeling small. She’s stuck in a grey room until, one day, she starts to draw and dream. Plucking up the courage to venture out, she encounters a glorious new world of colour and learns there’s more to life than she ever thought.

Toni Racklin, Head of Theatre and Dance, said, “we’re thrilled to be reopening our theatre spaces and welcoming back artists and audiences after this period of enforced closure.

“...we’re continuing to support artists to create work by welcoming this year’s Open Lab cohort to the Barbican, whilst rehearsals resume for our Artistic Associate, Boy Blue, and In bed with my brother—winners of the 2020 Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Award—develop their production for 2021.

"We’re also delighted to host our cross-arts colleagues in the Theatre as Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning collaborate with our Artistic Associate Michael Clark Company and charity Headway East London, BIE (Barbican International Enterprises) test an exciting new immersive media art installation for launching next year, and Cinema present matinée screenings during the EFG London Jazz Festival, Doc ‘n' Roll Film Festival and Palestine Film Festival.”

*Some links, including Amazon, Stageplays.com, ATG Tickets, LOVEtheatre, BTG Tickets, Ticketmaster, The Ticket Factory, LW Theatres and QuayTickets, are affiliate links for which BTG may earn a small fee at no extra cost to the purchaser.

Are you sure?