Gritty drama explores sensitive themes of violence against women abortion, illness and grief through setting of book club
The Luminous - a thrilling new show from Reading based RedCape Theatre is coming to the Corn Exchange, Newbury on Wednesday.
This time-travelling and genre-busting theatre show is part Victorian thriller, part contemporary tale of friendship and rebellion, set in a modern-day book club as three women discuss a schlocky melodrama called Luminous, from which lurid stories of ghastly Victorian London are brought to life.
Delving into tales of old, the show uses the company’s impressive trademark blend of physical theatre, dark comedy and gripping storytelling to explore the power of narratives to penetrate the present and forge unexpected connections with the past.
The wine is flowing, and the discussion gets heated as the women get drawn deeper into the narrative, from which lurid stories of ghastly Victorian England are brought to life. Tales of an anonymous killer haunting the city and women whose bones glow through their skin begin to awaken unexpected memories and connections for the women, and the world of the book begins to blur with their present reality.
Written by Catherine Dyson, The Luminous is being brought to stage by RedCape Theatre, originally founded by creative duo Cassie Friend and Rebecca Loukes, who will also star in the show.
Drawn to ordinary people in extraordinary situations, the key mission of RedCape revolves around telling stories that matter. The productions are distinctly visual and highly physical with compelling new writing.
Increasingly important in our digital world, the play masterfully explores the central theme of community, specifically in the setting of book clubs. The female characters forge friendships and create a supportive space in which to reveal their own stories to each other. In doing so, the show highlights the importance of shared experiences in today’s society, and the centrality of communal spaces in enabling these connections.
In making the show, RedCape drew on research which identified the ways that book clubs bring people together, both in live spaces and online. Whether this be in walking book clubs, silent book clubs - where people read their own books in a shared space - and book clubs that focus on particular communities.
The Luminous aims to appeal to book club members, encouraging them to come and see their experiences of being in these groups reflected in the show.
Writer Catherine Dyson and artistic directors Cassie Friend and Rebecca Loukes said the original inspiration for The Luminous was sparked by our fascination with three protests from different eras in which women placed their bodies at the centre: the London Match Girls’ Strike of 1888, the Greenham Common protests in the 1970s and 80s and the Reclaim the Night movement which began in the 1970s and was revived recently in response to the death of Sarah Everard.
“We thought a book club setting could be an interesting way to explore female friendship, and an exciting portal to access different time periods. We are really excited to share this gripping and inventive story with audiences.
“The Luminous is full of light and shade, and powerfully explores themes which are of huge relevance to our society today including violence against women, the appropriation of their bodies and the power of protest.”
The Luminous is funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant. It is commissioned by Corn Exchange Newbury with support from South Street Arts, Proteus Theatre and University of Exeter
The production is suitable for age 14+. It explores sensitive themes of violence against women (physical and sexual), abortion, illness and grief, and includes scenes that some audience members may find upsetting. It contains references to childbirth, self-immolation and nuclear warfare. It also contains strong language, ableist and misogynistic language and an abstract depiction of an autopsy.
Visit https://cornexchangenew.com/ to book
