The Antipodes

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31 October 2019 · Follow on Stagedoor

“The latest from the writer of The Flick and John takes place in an enclosed, wood-panelled room with no access to daylight where a group of writers have been gathered under the leadership of Sandy (Conleth Hill) to come up with what might be a new Hollywood fantasy blockbuster or perhaps is a TV series. It is a slow burn that takes neat pops at the way storytelling has become a money-spinning religion in Hollywood and big business, and probes who gets to tell stories and who gets a place at the table to tell them. It lasts for two hours without an interval, and is knitted together with such care and intricacy that I suspect that it will continue to offers up its hidden narrative moments and sphinx-like meanings for weeks to come.”

Trending Off West End

21 October 2019 · Follow on Stagedoor

“In the last few years, playwright Annie Baker has become a bit of a cult figure. The Flick, which followed the meandering conversations of cinema ushers, was a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Her position was cemented with John, another slow-paced and intensely atmospheric play set in a peculiar B&B. This hotly anticipated new play has had a host of brilliant reviews from critics & users - but it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea as there's a few 1 stars in the mix too.”

Overview

Following acclaimed runs of The Flick and John, Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker returns to the National Theatre with her latest extraordinary play. Their phones switched off, a group of peope sit around a table telling, categorising and theorising stories.

This is a world that is both familiar and fantastical. Their real purpose is never quite clear, but they continue on, searching for the monstrous.

Part satire, part sacred rite, The Antipodes asks what value stories have for a world in crisis.