NEWS: Speakeasy @ Dance City

In the classic German tale, Faust makes a pact with the devil after becoming dissatisfied with his life, trading in his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The legend has been the basis for numerous works of art and performance, undergoing countless reinterpretations since it first appeared half a millennium ago. Southpaw Dance Company have also taken on the task of re-framing the classic, transporting the story to the Roaring Twenties.

In Speakeasy, which comes to Dance City in Newcastle on Friday 18^th and Saturday 19^th March, they invite the audience into what initially seems like a normal prohibition-era bar. Except this bar just happens to be owned by the devil and Mephistopheles recast as a charming barman. The old and new are consistently juxtaposed throughout, with big band favourites like Count Basie sitting alongside Clint Mansell on the soundtrack, while some of the UK’s best Bboys combine their breakdancing flair with segments of the Charleston and the Lindyhop. Acclaimed digital creator Frieder Weiss and Matthias Härtlig also help bring the show to life, using stereoscopic cameras and interactive programming language to create the illusion of performers appearing as shadowy demons or allow them to dance through fiery rain. If you think you’ve seen every version of Faust, Southpaw’s spectacle might just change your mind.

Southpaw Dance Company present Speakeasy at Dance City, Newcastle on Friday 18^th and Saturday 19^th March, and later returning to the region at The Fire Station, Sunderland on Friday 8^th April.