HEART OF DARKNESS Gets A Radical Retelling At The Belgrade Theatre

The horror! The horror! Heart of Darkness gets a radical retelling at the Belgrade Theatre

Theatrical innovators imitating the dog present Conrad's classic story through the eyes of a Congolese detective

One of the most influential and controversial novels in English literary history will get a bold new staging at the Belgrade Theatre this spring as trailblazing theatre company imitating the dog present a radical new take on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Fusing live performance with cutting edge digital technology, this innovative production turns Conrad's classic on its head, retelling the story through the eyes of a Congolese detective making the perilous journey into a war-torn Europe. Drawing inspiration from cinema and global politics today, this new version offers a searing parable for our own polarised and unpredictable times, the drama unfolding on stage "like a giant graphic novel".

Sent by the government in Kinshasa to find and investigate a European military leader named Kurtz, Private Detective Charlie Marlow ventures into a continent ravaged by decades of war and famine. In this dystopian landscape, there are no countries, only fiefdoms run by military leaders, the most successful of whom is the mysterious Kurtz.

But just what shocking secrets lie behind his success? And will Charlie complete her mission successfully and make it out of Europe safely, or will she give in to the darkness at its heart?

Written over 100 years ago amidst the optimism at the turn of a new century and at the height of the British Empire, Conrad's 1902 novel follows Charles Marlow's journey along the river Congo and into the heart of Africa. Today, its exploration of how easily the mask of "civilisation" can slip to reveal greed and brutality beneath seems to prefigure the horrors of war and genocide that would dominate early 20th century history.

Now imitating the dog's unique adaptation explores what Europe might have looked like had history turned out differently (or might still look in a possible future), negotiating themes of race, gender, violence, nationalism, exploitation and the potential for darkness that lies within us all.

While Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic reworking Apocalypse Now has acquired its own towering reputation, stage adaptations of Heart of Darkness remain rare - and not without reason. Often considered the first modern novel, its structure and imagery are as restless as its protagonist, and as wild and mysterious as the jungle he explores.

Through their signature blend of traditional theatre and dynamic new storytelling techniques, imitating the dog have developed a multilayered, multimedia language that feels as fresh and potent as Conrad's literary inventiveness must have done his own time.

Heart of Darkness is adapted and directed by imitating the dog founder members Pete Brooks and Andrew Quick. Projection and video design are by fellow founder member Simon Wainwright. Casting for the show includes Keicha Greenidge (In The Club, Three Girls and From Darkness, BBC), Laura Atherton, Msimisi Dlamini, Morven Macbeth and Matt Prendergast.

Director Pete Brooks said: "As a result of recent political events, we felt that the UK had become gripped with a nostalgia for our colonial past without really acknowledging what that past was... In Conrad's novel he anticipated the horrors of twentieth century genocide and the problem of globalised capitalism. He also understood that their roots were in European colonialism.

For imitating the dog, it was important that we retold Conrad's story for audiences today, and from a new perspective... Heart of Darkness is simply too important a work to be avoided because it's a political minefield and when you take on a text as tricky as Conrad's novel, you have to tread carefully."

imitating the dog have been creating groundbreaking theatre for 20 years. Recent acclaimed productions have included The Zero Hour, Six Degrees Below the Horizon, Hotel Methuselah and A Farewell to Arms. The company created the sited work Arrivals and Departures for the launch of Hull City of Culture 2017.

Heart of Darkness is co-produced by imitating the dog with Italy's Marche Teatro and Cast Doncaster. It is supported by Arts Council England, Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University and Theatre by the Lake.

Heart of Darkness shows at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry from Wednesday 8 until Saturday 11 May. Tickets are available to book now by calling the box office on 024 7655 3055 or visiting www.belgrade.co.uk where prices are cheaper.

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