Petrified Paradise
Petrified Paradise was a radical piece of verbatim theatre; an intense and demanding theatrical experience that fused promenade and studio theatre with inter-media performance to present a powerful interrogation of physical, emotional and social imprisonment.
“- it’s the immigration can you open up -
so, I went and opened the door
and as soon as I opened the door
there are about ten people standing outside
big black
- oh my god oh my god -
I couldn’t scream
I couldn’t do anything
I said
no, please, no”.
This production asked its audience not just to listen but to feel and experience and in turn, to make connections between the stories in the play and their own lives. By mapping together people’s experiences in a number of distinct spaces, fragmented and silenced stories were told through A Moments Peace’s unique style - distorting the line between audience and performer, interviewer and interviewee - leaving all involved disorientated, challenged, and invigorated.
Created by Catrin Evans, Cashel Gormley, and the company.
CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Catrin Evans:
Creative Producer and Production Manager: Cashel Gormley
Creators and Performers: Melanie Evans, Scarlet McGlynn, Imogen Toner, Daniel McLaughlin, Eric Robertson, Sam Rowe & Poppy Kohner.
Designer: Fiona McCurdy
PERFORMANCES
Petrified Paradise played to a sell-out audience at The Arches in September 2006 and then toured to community centres across Glasgow.
FUNDED & SUPPORTED BY:
“The physical look and feel of this show is unforgettable, as is the passion with which it is delivered”.
★★★★ Scotsman
“a powerful and innovative new play”.
★★★★ Indymedia
“I had a wonderfully visceral experience. The beginning of the show was inspired as the audience were segregated into smaller and smaller numbers leaving us with a real sense of isolation”.
Audience member
“petrified paradise was a unique theatrical experience…The piece perfectly captured a sense of institutional bleakness and claustrophobic confinement, with very powerful use of documentary texts. This was one of the most imaginative and theatrical uses of documentary I have seen… a moment's peace represents an energetic youthful addition to the political theatre scene”.
Audience member
“I found the play very powerful, very human. The richness and depth of the content makes TV and newspapers seem flimsy. It made me feel more alive. I hope that this can come to other people”.
Audience member
