★★★★★ The White Plague at Landor Space
A dystopian immersive masterpiece – UNMISSABLE!
The White Plague | Landor Space, Clapham North | 7-22 April | Various Times | £15/12
A cheery Clapham pub is not the likeliest of locations for an outbreak of a sight-destroying virus. Yet the recently renamed Landor Space is home to a cutting edge immersive hit.
Take the stairs up and away from the warm security of the pub into a stark, brightly lit ‘waiting room’, where the scene is set for this postmodern morality tale to begin. Before long you’ll be donning your blindfold (not what you expect!) and shuffling forward into the horror of the white plague.
The story revolves around 5 key characters trying to survive their way through an outbreak of a new virus which makes people lose their sight.
Ninaz Khodaiji as the doctor’s wife and Michal Keyamo’s girl in sunglasses really brought the tale to life with a deft combination of infectious urgency and sensitivity.
But the acting is sublime across the board, with moments of real heightened emotion relayed through the foggy goggle glare. A talented ensemble lead the show into the darkest imagined futures of humanity.
The writing (deftly translated by Gul Y. Davis) and quick pace is sublime with heartfelt scenes and enough humour and thrills to keep you interested despite having lost your vision.
Alexander Raptotasios’ conception and direction prove to be a real coup de théatre and he is definitely one to watch. The show deserves to live on at a bigger venue – come on Battersea Arts Centre, Barbican or even the National Theatre!
Get your tickets here
I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.
