London's alternative theater venues
Jul 21, 2011
This is a summer of exciting interactive and alternative theater opportunities, with British company Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More running in New York City and You Me Bum Bum Train at the Barbican in London (through July 24 only). It’s not surprising that both come from England, since theater and performance there tends to be much more avant-garde than in the U.S., especially at major venues. In the states, experimental approaches tend to have less funding and lower production values. To see how it’s done when directors and audiences aren’t afraid of the smart and the new, check the schedule at any of the following venues.
Royal Opera House
Audiences in supposedly cosmopolitan New York freaked when Swiss director Luc Bondy staged a ‘risky’ version of Tosca, but it would have been downright stodgy at the Royal Opera House. We love this stunning old-new-hybrid building, its nasty, brilliant contemporary stagings of classic opera, and the pink champagne at intermission.
Sadler's Wells Theatre
Holy shit, any performance venue that’s been on the same spot since 1683 is an opportunity to reflect on the miracles of human accomplishment and the incredible richness of culture. This Clerkenwell theater is also the world’s leading center for innovative contemporary dance.
Royal Court Theatre
This hot venue on Sloane Square is dedicated to new work and emerging writers
Gate Theatre
Recent stagings at Notting Hill’s 30-year-old emerging arts venue include an adaptation of a Lori Moore short story and Tom Basden’s “Joseph K,” inspired by Kafka’s The Trial.
Barbican Centre
The enormous Barbican center exhibits fine art and shows movies in addition to having several affiliated music, theater and dance venues. It’s worth a trip if only for the stunning Brutalist building complex. Stages host a mixed bag of cutting edge performance like the You Me Bum Bum Train play and establishment figures like Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch.
