DumbWise Productions' ELECTRA Comes to The Bunker

A Mother clings to power whilst her Daughter screams murder. An estranged Son is coming home. A bloody family saga sprawling decades is about to reach its conclusion. Everything is about to change. DumbWise reinvent the murderous Greek myth of power and prophecy as a lyrical modern epic with a live punk-rock score.

Electra, played by Lydia Larson (Skin A Cat, Bunker Theatre & Vault Festival; Doctors, BBC; Kidnapped, Virgin), is set against a backdrop of a revolution, drawing inspiration from modern, international conflicts and uprisings. The revolution is sparked by issues familiar to a modern audience - austerity, unemployment and political corruption. This new adaptation blends the contemporary and ancient, creating a recognisable world that is also one step removed.

Inspired by the desire to reinvent Greek dramaturgy, the show puts all the action onstage, championing dynamic dialogue over long exposition, using many locations in an almost cinematic retelling and adding a revolutionary context to surround and influence the domestic narrative.

Artistic Director, John Ward comments: Electra is the original, anti-establishment, punk-rock legend, and a story rampant for reimagining in a modern age. Setting the play within a seething revolution electrifies the plot, finding new meanings for a modern audience, as the contradictions of today's politics collide with the shocking violence and energy of this classic revenge tragedy.

The Bunker's Spring Season sees the venue truly celebrate its place as a playground for ambitious and adventurous audiences, just over a year after it first opened its doors. The exciting season highlights the venue's commitment to work with brilliant playwrights, both established and emerging.

Tickets are available priced £19.50 (£15 concessions)
Previews on 11th and 12th December priced at £12.
Ten £10 tickets are available at each performance for under 30s.
Purchase from http://bunkertheatre.com/ and 0207 234 0486.

The Bunker is an Off-West End theatre housed in a former underground parking garage in London Bridge. The space has been transformed from its original abandoned state into a unique 110-seater Studio Theatre to house plays, musicals, dance, music, and a host of other performances. With four concrete pillars marking out the thrust performance space, an eclectic mix of audience seating on three sides of the stage, and a snug bar tucked into the corner of the venue, The Bunker has a unique character of its own. The Bunker believes in theatre with purpose, providing a home in which ambitious artists can share their work with adventurous audiences. The relationship between audience and artist is at the forefront of the work that The Bunker programmes, and this interaction extends beyond just the performance itself. The Bunker also plays host to a variety of post-show events that are inspired by the main house production, including dance responses, plays in development, and spoken word pieces. The Bunker is a place to pitch up early and to stay late into the night, where you can be entertained but also have the opportunity to discuss and debate what you have seen that night.

DumbWise Theatre Company are award-winning theatre makers and the UK's leading actor-musician company. DumbWise reinvent existing stories and combine them with original live music, to create high quality theatre with popular appeal, for contemporary audiences. Founded in Plymouth in 2008 the company is now based in Bristol. Previous work includes FAUST which won the Argus Angel Award at the Brighton Fringe, transferred to Greenwich Theatre and embarked on a national tour. The company staged the musical Matchgirls in an ACE funded project for the 125th anniversary of the original Matchgirls Strike, in partnership with Red Ladder Theatre, Wilton's Music Hall and Unite the Union. DumbWise reunited with Red Ladder to create a new adaptation of Terry Jones's book Nicobobinus for family audiences for a national tour.

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