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Somewhere you should go… RETZ presents: The Trial

If you are sick of the kind of theatre that sticks with the well -rodden path, constantly employing the same old props to tell their story – like a venue for instance – you might be interested to hear about The Trial; a digital age revamp of Franz Kafka’s seminal novel. Throwing tradition out, immersive theatre company RETZ has developed a production that takes its audience on two separate visits out of the round and into a journey through the winding streets of Hoxton.

Joseph hands_1024

If the story of The Trial is a mystery, then imagine this; on his 30th birthday Joseph K is arrested for an unknown crime, by an unknown agency that leads like a nightmare into a twisted judicial process – and ultimately, well… that would be telling. It’s a tale that has been decrypted many times, partly because it evades specific details. So RETZ’s decision to digital-age it fits quite well. The audience are a vital part of the process, encountering one-on-ones with the 47 actors – but if that isn’t enough, anything you say may be used against you, as the audience also become implemented in the performance.

RETZ’s key concept is to use social media to share information about audience members between the actors, enabling them to use that information further into the performance. With this act they hope to draw in key concepts of privacy and the internet, pressing issues that occupy space today.

The performance takes place over a variety of locations including Shoreditch Town Hall and the Rose Lipman building and runs throughout March and April. RETZ have plenty of experience developing their fictional world – having already done something similar with Shakespeare’s Tempest – so this is set to be yet another boundary pusher, and you wouldn’t want to miss that. (Words: Laura Thornley)

RETZ presents: The Trial runs until April 27th. For more info visit:  www.barbican.org.uk/eticketing/event-detail.asp?ID=14671

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