Laboratorium
Present
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
A site specific production at
The Old Cholmeley Boys Club, Dalston, London
by Edgar Allan Poe
Adapted and directed by Anastasia Revi
Devised by The Company
Performed by
Chris Gunter – Roderick Usher
Alex Marieka Hanly – Madeline Usher
Noah Young - Visitor
Susie Fairbrother – House Spirit
Original score and live piano by Kostis Kritsotakis
Costumes by Alison Neighbour
Photography and visuals by Yiannis Katsaris
Sound and lights by Vassillis Valavanis
During a dull, dark, and soundless day when clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I found myself within view of the melancholy House of Usher. Here was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart - an unredeemed dreariness of thought. What was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher?
A macabre and gothic site specific theatrical performance where the enigmatic Roderick Usher, the ethereal Madeline and their strange visitor, perform a story of sinister beauty, sick eroticism, and unfulfilled love in the shadows of decadent chandeliers, candles, and the haunting music of the piano...
This site specific performance, presented by Laboratorium converts the former boy’s club, now an artist’s studio, into the candle-lit hall of the House of Usher… .Director Anastasia Revi and her team have created a potent atmosphere… .The movement and images have considerable emotional power and, especially in the use of candles and the refiguring of furniture and props, a strong ritualistic element which enhances the feeling of this being a conjured image to be interpreted rather than a straightforward retelling… . Disturbing though Poe’s original may be this does not come over as a horror story but as an elegantly contrived artwork, something to observe and enjoy for the skills of its creators in producing such a totally atmospheric piece, rather than as a tale of horror to be shocked or moved by.
Howard Loxton, British Theatre Guide, 2010
