Landscape II, Battersea Arts Centre

Past meets present in award-winning writer, performer and sound artist Melanie Wilson’s poetic portrait of three women’s conversation across time. Landscape II is a bold solo piece, which uses film footage and sound art to create an immersive experience.

Her latest work follows the critical success of Autobiographer, an evocative portrait of a life refracted through the lens of dementia. This time she portrays the solitary and reflective lives of three women separated by 100 years. The main narrative voice is Vivien, a photojournalist who is recuperating at a family cottage in Devon following an assignment in Afghanistan. 

Vivien experiences flashbacks of her time in the Middle East, and is haunted by the memory of Meena, a woman she befriended there.  She discovers letters, diaries, drawings and photographs belonging to her great-great grandmother, Beatrice, which reveal shared fears, pressures and imaginings. ‘It’s about empathy with other people’s experiences and about the responsibility of what you do with your personal freedom,’ says Wilson.

Sound is central to Wilson’s storytelling. In Landscape II the compelling soundtrack guides the audience through different locations – from Devon and Exmoor to Afghanistan. 

This show forms part Battersea Arts Centre’s 120th anniversary programme, which celebrates its radical heritage, first as a town hall and, more recently, as an innovative arts centre. Wilson’s bold solo performance continues this radical tradition.

Ticket price: £12, £9 concessions

Address and Map: Battersea Arts Centre,   Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN

Nearest Station: Clapham Junction