Seminal story reimagined in a visceral one-actor show in Bedford

High-energy storytelling, expressive physicality and puppetry come together in a reimagining of a gothic classic at The Place next month.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Jan 2017, 11:34 BST
Updated 13th Jan 2017, 11:37 BST
The play tells the story of a student whose childhood trauma is embodied by the creepy SandmanThe play tells the story of a student whose childhood trauma is embodied by the creepy Sandman
The play tells the story of a student whose childhood trauma is embodied by the creepy Sandman

The venue is staging a ETA Hoffmann’s The Sandman, recreated for for a solo performer, on Saturday February 4.

Sandman tells the story of Nathaniel, a student, whose childhood trauma, embodied by the creepy figure of the Sandman, continues to haunt him in his adult life. When he falls in love with a woman who is not all she seems, no-one can prevent his life from spiralling out of control.

Bedford-based theatre makers Adie Mueller, the performer, and Mike Carter, the director and playwright, were fascinated of Hoffmann’s timeless story, which inspired Offenbach’s opera Tales of Hoffman, Delibes’s ballet Coppelia and Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner. Their take on the original explores contemporary themes, such as childhood fears and trauma, relationships in the digital age, artificial intelligence and the development of sophisticated humanoid robots.

Sandman was created with support from the The Place, where it was first shown as part of the annual StageWrite festival of new writing.

Call 01234 354321 to book or for more information.