MEDUSA
Five nights at London’s Pleasance Theatre!
We had an amazing time in London for the first full production of MEDUSA.
We gathered for this two-week rehearsal process at Mill Hill Library and Jacksons Lane Art Center.
Our ensemble consisted of London based artists including Nell Hardy, Eliza Harris, Rhiannon Kelly, Amber Savva, Samy Elkhatib, Jimin Suh, and Jenn Geiger.
This London ensemble was a mixture of people new to the project, and some who had worked with us before. The different connections to the narrative and understanding of our devising style and access mission made for a fantastic and fruitful workshop process. Building on themes and ideas that were explored by the previous ensembles in London, Paris, Piacenza, and Chicago, this cast dove head first into creating our most nuanced and technically realized version of Medusa’s story to date.
The ensemble was led by director Katie Merritt, with support from Anna Donnell, Denise Yvette Serna, Elliott Sheppard, and John Jack Paterson.
“Saturday 9th November: Today was our final rehearsal before we get into The Pleasance on Monday! Today I really feel like we’ve cracked the audio description aspect of the production! We have been striving to incorporate audio description in the smoothest way since our first workshop in January 2019. Along the way we used a narration technique as well as including it in the dialogue but with this production we’ve weaved it completely into the story, the scenes and the movement which, I think, heightens the storytelling! I’m really excited to see what audiences think of it on Monday but I feel like we’ve come so far in 11 months and I hope that more and more companies can do work with accessibility like this.
One image that remained throughout was the image of the Pegasus at the end of the show. Having performed our piece in its many versions across three different countries, the way that this image and its message has transcended languages and cultures was really stunning to watch.”
Did you miss MEDUSA in November?
Book now for Fusion Theatre Company’s highly anticipated remount at London’s Cockpit Theatre!
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"And as we find ourselves inside Medusa’s own mind, the multinational cast supplement the English narration with simultaneous translation, in languages from French and Italian to Korean. It helps underscore how Medusa’s story – finding herself and her life weaponised as a result of somebody else’s actions."
⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A truly accessible production and an empowering contemporary perspective on the classic Greek myth.”