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South Bank, London SE1 9PX

Cleansed

Closed April 2, 2016

Sarah Kane is remembered with Katie Mitchell's stirring revival

Why See Cleansed?

Plays

Blasted author sees a posthumous NT debut

This 1998 play by the late Sarah Kane(1971 – 1999) of Blasted notoriety sees a new revival at the Dorfman Theatre in 2016, directed by Katie Mitchell. Not for the faint-hearted, Cleansed displays Kane's visceral use of stage violence and torture to explore themes of love and pain within her character. This play takes place in a university that has been transformed into a dark,cruel institution that is akin to a concentration camp, and centers around the diabolical character Tinker who inflicts torture upon its various inhabitants. But even he is in need of love, which he finds in Katie. But can he suppress his cruel urges to make it work?

Katie and her brother live with a disturbed boy, a gay couple and a peepshow dancer within a harsh world masquerading as a university, and have to put up with various cruelties by its overseer Tinker. But within this awful existence, love is tested to its breaking point between the inhabitants - and Tinker himself.

Conveying Kane's darkest thoughts

The darkness conveyed in this play and Kanr's others included Blasted, Skin and Crave have divided critics in this country, which led to many of them only performed to small audiences, yet finding popularity in Europe and in South America due to their powerful and unsettling scenes. Battling with depression for much of her life, Kane originally wanted to pursue a career in poetry, but found that theatre was a more effective conduit for her feelings. Her work therefore is recognised today by students and more modern critics to push the boundaries of stage direction.

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Additional Information

Dates

Previews from: 16 February 2016

Opening night: 23 February 2016

Audience

Suitable for ages 16+ due to strong sexual and physical violence.

Run time

tbc

MASKS

You may be required to wear a mask during this performance. Please contact the venue directly for more information.

Cast and Creative

Cast

Graham Butler

Peter Hobday
Natalie Klamar
Tom Mothersdale
Matthew Tennyson
Michelle Terry

Creative

Directed by Katie Mitchell
Set Design by Alex Eales
Lighting Design by Jack Knowles
Movement Direction by Joseph Alford
Music by Paul Clark
Sound Design by Melanie Wilson

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