Heart of Darkness (Slight Return)

Firstly, I want to say a huge “Thank you!” to everyone for all your recent support and good wishes. I’m very touched!

I now have a couple of weeks off before I start the new job, so I’m determined to make the most of the time.

This evening I met my playwright pal, Marj, for a visit to the Playhouse to see Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’, as retold by the Imitating the Dog theatre company https://vimeo.com/311193067

The performance absolutely blew me away and I’ve been left with a lot to think about.

In this production, the ‘dark continent’ is no longer Africa, but a Europe which has been left decimated and divided after a Second World War in which no conclusive victors emerged and in which no unity appears possible. The economy, such as it is, is driven by shadowy but powerful capitalists who ruthlessly exploit the workers in their labour camps. Chief amongst these capitalists is Kurtz, and the markets to which he sells are based in the powerful continents of Asia and Africa. But the government in the mega-city of Kinshasa have ‘issues’ with Kurtz and employ a private investigator, a woman named Charlie Marlow, to journey across the perilous motorways of Europe and over the channel to London - the very heart of darkness - from where Kurtz is suspected to be operating... and ‘deal’ with him. “The horror! The horror!”

The performance itself is a multi-media piece, with five actors performing all the roles ‘live’ in front of a green screen whilst also filming each other on video which is streamed onto 3 screens above the stage, incorporating digital backdrops and scenery. This is also intercut with old newsreels, documentary footage and scenes from the film ‘Apocalypse Now’ (itself a re-telling of Conrad’s book), to which the actors occasionally lip sync. A neat way of representing the increasing number of digital platforms and information sources through which we all navigate our lives.

And, as well as all that, the action sometimes cuts to scenes in which the actors are seen workshopping the performance - discussing geopolitics, racism, gender politics, capitalism and imperialism, and where Conrad’s story ‘fits’ in a world of popularism, nationalism, Farage and Johnson. I was particularly struck by a discussion in which the damage inflicted upon Africa by Europe was described almost as a harbinger for the damage that Europe has inflicted upon itself in the 20th Century and beyond, and how thin the veneer of ‘civilisation’ really is.

With so much to juggle, the whole production could have been an almighty mess. But the company handled it all with style and aplomb! I was breathless by the end and I can’t recommend it highly enough!

After the performance there was a Q&A with the cast and the technical team about how, and why, they’d developed the piece and what the challenges had been.

I also took the opportunity to take this picture of Keicha Greenidge who gave an outstanding performance as Charlie Marlow. See also the Extra picture of Morgan Bailey who played a huge variety of roles!

Between the play and the Q&A, Jimi Hendrix was blasted over the PA, so I shall follow suit... Here’s ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ https://youtube.com/watch?v=IZBlqcbpmxY