Intense and thought-provoking new play The Unseen is coming to London’s Riverside Studios this November 2024.
The Unseen promises to be an intense and thought-provoking play that delves into the human spirit’s resilience under oppressive regimes.
Written by Craig Wright (Six Feet Under), and directed by Iya Patarkatsishvili, The Unseen makes its London debut at the Riverside Studios on 15 November, running to 14 December 2024.
The show will be accompanied by a series of high-profile post-performance discussions and the UK premiere of international exhibition Faces of Russian Resistance.
The creative team also includes set and costume design by Simon Kenny, lighting design by Anna Watson, sound design by Mike Walker with James Robert Moore as associate director. The composer is Danny Short, who also executive produces alongside, Peter Huntley and Callum Runciman for Smart Entertainment.
The Unseen first premiered at the Humana Festival in 2007 and subsequently at New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre.
Set in a brutal totalitarian regime, two strangers are imprisoned for reasons unknown. Wallace and Valdez communicate only through their cell walls, navigating waves of hope and disillusionment whilst seeking an escape route.
Finding solace in one another they create their own philosophies in an attempt to assign meaning to their state of confinement. Meanwhile, their torturer finds himself torn between his duty and his own self-revulsion and plans a showdown that will change everything.
Craig Wright is an acclaimed American playwright and screenwriter, with TV credits that include Six Feet Under, Lost and Brothers & Sisters, and he created the acclaimed series Dirty Sexy Money. His plays include The Pavilion, Recent Tragic Events and Lady.
Iya Patarkatsishvili is a political activist who advocates for human rights, with a particular focus on political prisoners in Russia.
Writer Craig Wright said in a statement: “While The Unseen obviously has arguments to make about grim political and social issues, arguments which are, unfortunately, even more pertinent today than when the play was written, it’s also a fable about what can and can’t ever be known by individuals and, by extension, what can and can’t ever be agreed about. When it comes to life’s deepest mysteries, sometimes the only solid answer is: “Someone seems to be asking a question.” The Unseen, a tale about the horrors that often accompany interrogation, begins and ends there. It affirms all those who wonder why.”
Director Iya Patarkatsishvili said: “Our aim is to capture the raw, visceral emotions of these characters as they navigate the treacherous waters of hope and despair, pushing the audience to reflect on the disturbing realities of political imprisonment and moral degradation. Our production seeks to create a thought-provoking theatrical experience that resonates with contemporary issues of political repression, particularly drawing parallels to the plight of political prisoners in Russia and around the world.”
The Unseen is playing at Riverside Studios from 15 November to 14 December 2024.
Book tickets to The Unseen at Riverside Studios London
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