Rhiannon Faith, Lay Down Your Burdens, Barbican
Rhiannon Faith, Lay Down Your Burdens Photo: Foteini Christofilopoulou
Essex-based Rhiannon Faith Company makes socially engaged dance-theatre, with the aim of bringing people together and promoting change. And what could be a better place to bring people together than their local pub?
So that's where Rhiannon Faith sets her latest work, Lay Down Your Burdens, which has its world premiere at the Barbican this month. The Pit is completely transformed, with the audience sitting on three sides of the stage, rather like people in a pub, and themselves becoming part of the action, encouraged to join the conversations going on around the bar.
The story, told through words, music and dancing by an eight-strong cast, goes like this: the pub, run by the welcoming landlady Sara, caters for its regulars, hearing the same stories and serving the same drinks every night. Until one night a stranger with an excess of baggage comes in from the cold.
The piece is inspired by Bob Dylan's song Lay Down Your Weary Tune, and features an original score by John Victor of the London band Gengahr, played live by a string section and including the recorded voices of the audience. The result is a collective tune, which is specific to each of the shows.
Physical performance is very much part of the show, as are karaoke and pub games.
Ultimately, like Rhiannon Faith's previous work, this show, too, is about community and how it can help lighten individual burdens.
Age Guidance: 16+
So that's where Rhiannon Faith sets her latest work, Lay Down Your Burdens, which has its world premiere at the Barbican this month. The Pit is completely transformed, with the audience sitting on three sides of the stage, rather like people in a pub, and themselves becoming part of the action, encouraged to join the conversations going on around the bar.
The story, told through words, music and dancing by an eight-strong cast, goes like this: the pub, run by the welcoming landlady Sara, caters for its regulars, hearing the same stories and serving the same drinks every night. Until one night a stranger with an excess of baggage comes in from the cold.
The piece is inspired by Bob Dylan's song Lay Down Your Weary Tune, and features an original score by John Victor of the London band Gengahr, played live by a string section and including the recorded voices of the audience. The result is a collective tune, which is specific to each of the shows.
Physical performance is very much part of the show, as are karaoke and pub games.
Ultimately, like Rhiannon Faith's previous work, this show, too, is about community and how it can help lighten individual burdens.
Age Guidance: 16+
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| What | Rhiannon Faith, Lay Down Your Burdens, Barbican |
| Where | Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Barbican (underground) |
| When |
21 Nov 23 – 25 Nov 23, 19:30 Sat mat at 14:30 Dur.: 2 hours inc one interval |
| Price | £18 (+booking fee) |
| Website | Click here to book |