Lancaster University Theatre Group is staging an ambitious production at the end of this term, with two classic pieces being performed back to back in one evening.
Director Jamie Ward and his team will be staging Howard Barker’s ‘Judith: A Parting From the Body’ and Stephen Berkoff’s ‘In the Penal Colony’ at the Gregson Community Centre on the 15th and 16th of June. Both evenings will see performances at 7.30pm, and on the 16th there will be a 2.30pm matinee.
The plays are focused on the theme of ‘necessity of death for the greater good’ and will last for half an hour each. Berkoff’s ‘In the Penal Colony’ is concerned with capital punishment, and sees an officer giving a tour of the colony to an explorer. There then ensues a moralistic argument over the way the camp is run, brought about by the existence of a machine that engraves the text of the prisoner’s crime into their back.
‘Judith: A Parting From the Body’ is a retelling of the biblical story of Hebrew widow Judith and General Holofernes. Judith, in order to save her people from slaughter, attempts to seduce the General and return to them with his head. Themes of sex, power and love are displayed humorously in ‘Judith, and an evening of ‘tension and violence’ is promised from both pieces.
The project is ambitious, and the production team want actors who are looking for a challenge. Only five are required –two males, two females, and one who can be either sex. Auditions will take place on the Saturday and Sunday of week 1, the 24th and 25th April, and call backs will be held throughout week 2. Those interested should see Lancaster University Theatre Group’s Facebook page.
Tickets are £4 and will be available nearer to the time from www.weehoo.net. The Gregson Community Centre is found on Moorgate in Lancaster centre.
