š Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me)
š The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR
š Wednesday 23rd October 2024
āļøāļøāļøāļø
BRILLIANTLY BLASPHEMOUS!
John Milton's epic poem PARADISE LOST gets a modern overhaul in this one-man production currently playing in The Drum at Theatre Royal Plymouth, the only venue on the tour where the show is playing more than one date.
The original text spans a staggering twelve books and features over ten thousand lines of verse. It's safe to say that the text has been abridged for this staging! The story is told with just one man, a chair, a sock puppet and some chickpeas!
Presented by Lost Dog Dance and performed by Sharif Afifi, the production is divinely comical whilst still having heart and a real humanity at its core. My use of the word humanity is somewhat nonsensical here as this tells the story of God and how he created the heaven and the earth. However alongside performing as the deity Afifi also portrays the first humans Adam and Eve as well as a plethora of other characters. The story follows the rebellion of LuciferĀ and the banishment of AdamĀ and EveĀ from the Garden of Eden, as the creator wrestles with his less than perfect formulation.
Told through a mixture of interpretive dance and spoken word, the story is told with great pace. Seemingly somewhat chaotic with Afifi switching from character to character with barely a breath taken, the story has purpose and a sublime focus which keeps the audience mesmerised. His aptitude is outstanding, moving with sheer grace and perfectly balancing the comedy and seriousness with impeccable precision.
The way the tone changes at lightning pace throughout is to be applauded, transitioning effortlessly from the insane to the simply sublime. The power in silence is as compelling as the carefully selected music which only enhances the performance. The imagery of Afifi sat on a chair in the centre of the stage getting soaked by a downpour transfixes beyond measure.
I enjoyed the artistic license used throughout as well as the blatant blasphemy on display! With a run time of just over an hour I actually wanted more. The exploration and reimagining is brilliant and it would be fantastic to have experienced more of the same. Adding an additional 10 or 15 minutes would really catapult this production in my humble opinion.
That being said, there's no denying how captivating this show is. The sensational comedy elements perfectly complement the themes of loss and love which effectively tug at the heartstrings. Even watching as an atheist, the character of God is somehow relatable and normal. Just an everyday guy.
PARADISE LOST (lies unopened beside me) continues in Plymouth until Saturday 26th October. Click here to check availability and to book tickets.
Neill Kovacic-Clarke
All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.
My ticket for this performance of Paradise Lost was gifted by the Theatre Royal Plymouth who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.
Comments