A Tale of Two Cities: Blood for Blood (Edinburgh Festival Fringe Tour)

'Extraordinary... expertly devised, refreshingly staged and emotionally gripping. A testament to Jonathan Holloway's innovation.'

- HKELD.COM (HONG KONG)

With the leading UK theatre professional Jonathan Holloway as partner, A Tale of Two Cities: Blood for Blood has premiered in Hong Kong this April, and was received with a round of applause! This August, A Tale of Two Cities: Blood for Blood is visiting London and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to bring on the positive acclaim! 

Established as an auxiliary of the British Council in 1979, Chung Ying is an international company producing in Cantonese and English and creating shows which go beyond established traditional ways of working. With the immense support from the Home Affairs Bureau, the Contestable Funding Pilot Scheme reinvigorates the company’s vital tradition with its rich experience and expertise in the fields of English theatre and drama education. In 2015, in association with Red Shift Theatre Productions, Chung Ying has brought on stage a gothic classic Jekyll & Hyde. This year, to pass on the success, the UK/HK collaboration jointly present A Tale of Two Cities:Blood for Blood, rewriting the literary classic by Charles Dickens. While promoting English drama to the city, Chung Ying aspires to blossom the local English drama scene, attract English theatre-goers and nurture local artistic talents.

Synopsis

Blood For Blood is A Tale of Two Cities thrillingly re-imagined for today. Holloway's version of Dickens' unbearably moving story of grief, retribution and self-sacrifice is here reinvented as a twenty-first century paean to obsessional grief, whether it be for a lost child, a lost love or the lost dignity of a nation.  

This cool, elegant, emotionally punishing production reverses expectations as it expels cosy Dickensian theatricality. No wigs. No period frippery. Very few of Dickens' original words. Seven actors are set adrift in a sea of empty chairs and discarded shoes reminding us of the 'disappeared'. Expressionist lighting half illuminates a world of shadows and fakery.  

Creative and Production Team

Playwright & Director       Jonathan Holloway

Set, Costume & Props Designer   Neil Irish

Composer & Sound Designer   Sarah Llewellyn

Lighting Designer       Jonathan Holloway

Cast List

James Camp

Nicki Hobday

Jonathan Holloway

Eric MacLennan

Mike Rogers

Graeme Rose

Abby Wain

Date and Time

3-9, 11-16, 18-23, 25-28/8/2016 2:40pm

Venue
Pleasance Beyond, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh