Critical Stage Company
Loss by Gain
Critical Stage Company again seeks to encourage audiences
to challenge their firmly held notions of morality and conscience. The company
continues in its tradition of providing a platform for new writers, introducing
two new writers, Amanda Bass and Tom Bull in their joint venture, Abelard &
Heloise & Stanley, alongside another boundary-breaking piece, Maggie &
Anna, from the company, and show director, Caroline Baillie.
Household Name
Dr. Caroline Baillie is becoming a household name after co-presenting BBC television’s Building the Impossible. In this programme, she and her colleagues used their modern-based scientific expertise to solve the mysteries of the past. Her favourite adventures were the building of a pyramid, and a submarine. She explained that for the team to succeed, she “had to think according to the parameters of the century, and use only those materials that were available at that time”.
Literary and historic monuments
Baillie’s questioning of physical monuments has been transferred to two literary monuments; George Eliot’s Mill on the Floss, and Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. With typical creative flair, Baillie has written a piece that allows for the unfortunate, spirited soul of Maggie to be reincarnated into Anna. Despite different time, situation and society, will this soul achieve peace? This literary exploration is presented alongside the story of the 12th Century lovers, philosopher, Peter Abelard, and his pupil, Heloise. “It is a tragic love story that I have always found particularly inspiring, but very few people know about them”, explains Amanda Bass. “Their story has been traced through the centuries, so this is the beginning of the pair’s being included in the 21st Century.” The mediaeval story exists alongside a more modern, heart-warming love story.
These disparate strands of history, literature and matters
of the soul are plaited together in this production which causes people to
question one’s guidance. Can any individual ever hope to be free to follow
their hearts if they live within a society? The show features songs and music
by singer-songwriter, Pete Christie (Live Performances : March 24th,
30th and April 3rd ), providing a rich musical backdrop
against which the characters search their souls.
“Surprisingly stunning theatre” (Theatre Advisor to the German Government, Berlin, 1999.)
Critical Stage Company has built up a reputation for presenting plays and ideas in a way that creates an environment to allow its audience to think about things in a different way. Over its six years of existence, it has worked in several areas, including theatre in education, most recently, Dream 2B Green, an environmental project. This was followed by a community play, funded by European Social Fund, that encouraged Liverpool and London and Edinburgh audiences to think about homelessness outside the boundaries of stereotypes.
Future of Fringe
Late last year, CSC hosted the first Fringe Symposium, supported by patron, Ben Elton, which sought to unite Fringe theatre groups to form a voice in the theatrical community. This was considered by all who attended to be a great success, and we look forward to the next meeting on Saturday 29th March at Drayton Court Theatre, 2 The Avenue, West Ealing, London. W13 8PH.
Performance Details
VENUE: Drayton Court Theatre
2 The Avenue
West Ealing
London. W13 8PH
50 yards from West Ealing BR station (12mins from Paddington).
5mins by buses E1, E7, E8 & E11 from Ealing Broadway.
Box Office 020 8997 1019
Tickets £8 (£5 concessions)
Press Night: 8pm: Monday 24th March 2003*
Weeknight Performances: 8pm 25th, 27th, 31st March, April 1st- *3rd
Sunday Performances: 3pm 24th and *30th March.
Where * denotes live music by singer-songwriter, Pete Christie.
