REVIEW
New Beginning
30 Aug - 2 Sept
Queen’s Theatre
Billet Lane
Hornchurch
RM11 1QT
New Beginning
30 Aug - 2 Sept
Queen’s Theatre
Billet Lane
Hornchurch
RM11 1QT
In Our Beginning is our End
A very thought provoking evening was spent at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, watching the world premier of an avant garde piece called New Beginning. The production took on board the damage to the world because of Global Warming and explored the magic of forests, after the devastating effect of climate change.
The evening began when one of the young performers guided us to our seats. In our case, it was Matei-Constantin Cicu. As we gazed at an empty stage where a plume of sand fell into a container, he asked us what we understood the sand to mean. We thought it meant it was time running out. However, I did suggest it might be William Blake’s world seen through a grain of sand. We then discussed how man is destroying the planet.
As the play began, an audio narration by Guide (Michelle Newell) took us through the evolution of life as nature fights back. Young audio voices of Humanity questioned her about our role in the kind of world it would be a 1000 years from now.
Although it was only sixty minutes long, they used stunning video projections with a dramatic sound score. The audience was totally immersed in the natural world as it evolved before us.
As the Guide continued with her narration, aided by eerie whispering voices and the sound of wind and thunder, black clad figures, came out of the shadows, They slowly moved around the stage planting saplings, which became a forest and through video projections, grew leaves whilst a large root descended. The evolution was broken into sections with Stillness, Carbon, Roots, Fire and Rain. Then the falling rain brought new growth and with it the breath of life.
The black figures moved items around the stage to enhance the effect, and there were also video projections showing the debris and decay of the forest floor morphing into life. There was a surprise when fire suddenly lit up the stage, startling the audience. Additionally, young people moved through the seating area handing out seeds.
We experienced stillness, as if meditating, calming a troubled soul, whilst the busy noise of the world was silent. As the performance ended, Humanity asked who the guide was and she replied, that she was the one who led them, found them, and murmured,
‘I am here
We are here’
Humanity echoed those words.
It was certainly a very imaginative and creative piece, the text being taken from various works i.e. The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (Armah) and The Rose That Grew from Concrete (Shaku) amongst others by Zakiya McKenzie. I must also credit the Director and Designer David Shearing for what must have been a difficult task to pull the whole production together.
It was a very interesting evening, the piece being a collective breath for our future planet.
New Beginning was created in partnership with over 200 young people from Little Ilford School and the Queen’s Youth Theatre, in workshops. The words text and voices developed over three months. It was performed in conjunction with Variable Matter (an artist led Collective and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, in association with Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Review Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
The Performance continues:-Friday 01 September 2023
6.00pm
Friday 01 September 2023
8.30pm
Saturday 02 September 2023
3.00pm
Saturday 02 September 2023
6.00pm
Saturday 02 September 2023
8.30pm
A very thought provoking evening was spent at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, watching the world premier of an avant garde piece called New Beginning. The production took on board the damage to the world because of Global Warming and explored the magic of forests, after the devastating effect of climate change.
The evening began when one of the young performers guided us to our seats. In our case, it was Matei-Constantin Cicu. As we gazed at an empty stage where a plume of sand fell into a container, he asked us what we understood the sand to mean. We thought it meant it was time running out. However, I did suggest it might be William Blake’s world seen through a grain of sand. We then discussed how man is destroying the planet.
As the play began, an audio narration by Guide (Michelle Newell) took us through the evolution of life as nature fights back. Young audio voices of Humanity questioned her about our role in the kind of world it would be a 1000 years from now.
Although it was only sixty minutes long, they used stunning video projections with a dramatic sound score. The audience was totally immersed in the natural world as it evolved before us.
As the Guide continued with her narration, aided by eerie whispering voices and the sound of wind and thunder, black clad figures, came out of the shadows, They slowly moved around the stage planting saplings, which became a forest and through video projections, grew leaves whilst a large root descended. The evolution was broken into sections with Stillness, Carbon, Roots, Fire and Rain. Then the falling rain brought new growth and with it the breath of life.
The black figures moved items around the stage to enhance the effect, and there were also video projections showing the debris and decay of the forest floor morphing into life. There was a surprise when fire suddenly lit up the stage, startling the audience. Additionally, young people moved through the seating area handing out seeds.
We experienced stillness, as if meditating, calming a troubled soul, whilst the busy noise of the world was silent. As the performance ended, Humanity asked who the guide was and she replied, that she was the one who led them, found them, and murmured,
‘I am here
We are here’
Humanity echoed those words.
It was certainly a very imaginative and creative piece, the text being taken from various works i.e. The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (Armah) and The Rose That Grew from Concrete (Shaku) amongst others by Zakiya McKenzie. I must also credit the Director and Designer David Shearing for what must have been a difficult task to pull the whole production together.
It was a very interesting evening, the piece being a collective breath for our future planet.
New Beginning was created in partnership with over 200 young people from Little Ilford School and the Queen’s Youth Theatre, in workshops. The words text and voices developed over three months. It was performed in conjunction with Variable Matter (an artist led Collective and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, in association with Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Review Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
The Performance continues:-Friday 01 September 2023
6.00pm
Friday 01 September 2023
8.30pm
Saturday 02 September 2023
3.00pm
Saturday 02 September 2023
6.00pm
Saturday 02 September 2023
8.30pm