Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company

Come face to face with the Devil in the Guildhall Theatre

This November Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company invite you to come face to face with the Devil and steal a glimpse into the jaws of Hell as they present The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

Faustus is a brilliant, bored, academic, a scholar who believes he has exhausted the confines of human knowledge. Frustrated with the futility of law and science he is hungry for something new and falls under the spell of the dark arts. In Marlowe’s most famous play, we consider the battle between good and evil, the merits of hell over heaven and ask whether faith alone is enough to save a soul.

The age-old Faust legend of a man who sells his soul to the devil has been brought into the 21st century by director Niki Caister who has chosen to illustrate Faustus’ temptation and decline with the metaphor of drug abuse. With a stripped down text and no interval, audiences will join Faustus on his fast-paced journey, experiencing the false empowerment of his highs, the frivolity of his hollow achievements and the desperation and regret of his ultimate downfall.

Central to the plot is the complex relationship between Faustus (Chris Scott) and Mephistopheles (James Dean). Mephistopheles is contracted to serve Faustus for 24 years in return for his soul. In this production, years become hours, which tick by all too quickly as Faustus comes to realise that the bargain was not weighted quite as he expected and that his servant...his dealer, holds all the cards.

The production promises to be a feast for the senses: the seven deadly sins will appear in glorious technicolour and hand-crafted masks; A pack of dancing devils will contort themselves for your amusement; a troop of bald-pate friars will sing a dirge to banish unwanted spirits; shadow-puppets will delight; and Lucifer himself will appear amidst fire and furies.

Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 November, 8pm

Guildhall Theatre

£13.50 (£11.50 concessions)

The Tuesday performance will be prefaced at 7:30pm with You, Me and Faustus where school groups can meet the production team, hear the story from page to stage and ask questions about the production.

Schools’ ticket offer: £9 each with every 11th ticket free

Tickets for the show are available through Derby LIVE Sales and Information Centre, by phone on 01332 255800 or online at www.derbylive.co.uk.

 

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