Lost Dog & Ben Duke: Directed by Olivier Award Nominated and NDA winner Ben Duke, and devised by the creators of Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) (The best dance of the 21st century, The Guardian) and Juliet & Romeo, A Tale of Two Cities is the latest, highly anticipated production from the acclaimed company.

Charles Dickens: Dickens is one of the most well-known authors ever; A Tale of Two Cities is one of the best-selling novel of all time (allegedly). As a household name and regularly appearing in pop-culture, this latest re-imagining of the classic text will intrigue traditional theatre goers and literary interest audiences, as well as those more familiar with contemporary dance.

Innovation in Storytelling: Exploring the use of live camera work on stage, A Tale of Two Cities explores how documentary filmmaking can impact storytelling. It asks the audience what is true and what is mis-remembered or manipulated through retelling, offering an innovative take on a well-known story.

Exploration of Relationships: Lost Dog applies a deeply personal perspective to Dickens social and political commentary, unpacking the relationships between characters and the impact of the events in their lives.

‘It was the best of times – it was the worst of times’: Dicken’s famous opening lines feel particularly pertinent considering the ‘unprecedented’ times we live in, but is ultimately an uplifting and witty observation of the world.

Dance and Theatre audiences: Lost Dog’s distinct approach that blurs the boundaries between dance, theatre and spoken word genres allows audiences to approach the piece from a number of different angles.

Contemporary Audiences: Use of technology and filmmaking onstage give the classic title a contemporary take, interesting to audiences interested in innovative approaches and keen to try something new.

Rural Touring Audiences: Lost Dog’s extensive touring to rural venues in recent years has allowed them to develop a strong following of rural audiences. With A Tale of Two Cities, we’re looking at ways to further develop our relationship with these audiences.

Education: Dickens features on the GCSE syllabus and is studied by English Literature departments at college and university level. This new adaptation unpacks and examines the themes in Dickens work, in particular, his use of character tropes, representation of archetypal female characters, political and socioeconomic commentary and use of narrative. Lost Dog can offer events for students that further delve into these themes and adaptation.

Imagined at 90 minutes, no interval

Age recommendation: 14+

Touring company: 6 x performers, 1 x production manager, 2 x technical stage managers, 1 x producer

Minimum stage size: 10m x 10m
Minimum stage height: 6m

Schedule: 2 day get-in with first performance on the evening of the second day

A full technical document, method statement, risk assessment and lighting plan are available on request.

CLICK HERE to download the full Technical Specifications