The Scoop is back this summer for its ninth annual season of free theatre, with Around The World In Eighty Days and a new translation of The Mother by Mark Ravenhill playing from 4 August to 4 September.
The season at The Scoop is produced by Steam Industry Free Theatre as part of the More London Free Festival and allows 1000 people to see each performance for free in the Greek-style amphitheatre near City Hall.
This year’s family adventure, Around The World In Eighty Days, will take audiences on a whistle stop tour of four continents. Adapted from the classic novel by Jules Verne and Phil Willmott’s 2001 musical, the story follows Victorian adventurer Phileas Fogg and his hapless servant Passepartout as they attempt to cross the globe in record time. But with wayward balloons, grumpy elephants and a wild west outlaw on the loose, their journey is packed full of timetable calamities which hinder our heroes with hilarious results.
Bertolt Brecht’s drama, The Mother, brings a more serious offering to the season. Known for his often controversial plays including Shopping And F**king, Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat and Over There, playwright Ravenhill has created a new version of the political play. Written during the rise of Hitler, The Mother is a portrait of a family and neighbourhood in crisis at a time when ordinary people must stand up for what they believe.
Set in Germany, Pavel’s mother doesn’t approve of the street protests going on in the country. But when her son joins the demonstrations, she starts to listen to the stories of the people around her and finds herself involved in something she could never have imagined.
Performances take place Thursday to Sunday at 18:00 (Around The World In Eighty Days) and 20:00 (The Mother). There is no need to book and audience members are invited to stay and watch both productions.
CM