Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ meets Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.
January 2019. Set in a country far, far, not so far away, British diplomat Colin Clutterbuck is brutally arrested by the National Intelligence Agency.
Thrown into a cell and accused of conspiring to overthrow the government, Colin fights back with wit and great British banter. Faced with infamous master interrogator Pacifique Muamba, the young diplomat is about to be painfully re-educated and taken to the brink of madness. Can she prove her innocence?
Is she innocent?
Following the siege on the US Capitol (2021) and frequent accusations of election fraud the world over; the topic of ‘democracy’ has a fresh importance today; and begs the question, how does a regime govern effectively amidst pressures foreign and domestic?
The Ballerina places the African continent at the centre of that discussion and exposes the fallacies of Democracy as a one-size-fits-all solution.
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NATAAL:
Khaos (Outer Gaea Company), an artist-led theatre company based in London and Miami, presents The Ballerina. This immersive theatrical experience sets out to subvert the western perception of the African diplomatic class and other preconceived norms in the aftermath of colonial rule. It first debuted at Theaterlab in New York City in early 2019 and due to its critical acclaim, was selected to close London’s Vault Festival 2020. Sadly, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival has been shelved for another time. However, storylines such as these are essential to get us through to the other side, questioning and probing for a future we can believe in.
Cast & Creative Team Pacifique - EDWARD NKOM
Colin – DOMINIQUE IZABELLA LITTLE
Aimée - ADI ALFA
Operator 1 - PAULINE RAYBAUD
Operator 2 - ALAMO PEREZ
Operator 3 – VINCENT OSBORNE
Director - JAMES S BARNES
Writer – ANNE-SOPHIE MARIE
Lighting & Sound Designer - MAGNUS WESTWELL
Set Designer - KATJA LARSSON
Fight Director - JOSH CAVENDISH