Trestle Theatre Company & Britten Sinfonia, Beyond the Blue Horizon

Review in Issue 10-1 | Spring 1998

Beyond the Blue Horizon is a collaboration between Trestle Theatre Company and Britten Sinfonia, directed by Toby Wilshire with music composed by David Horne. It is a tale about the environment seen through the eyes of George, the central character. The story touches on issues including biotechnology, ozone depletion and desert reclamation. George (an unmasked Joff Chaffer) is pushed into the sea in a sequence which is visually stunning. Floating on his suitcase on a sea of blue material, he passes various masked characters like the man in a bath who paddles with a scrubbing brush. A tempestuous storm sinks his boat and in another magnificent moment George's descent to the bottom of the sea is executed with wires, lighting and more pieces of large cloth.

On the sea floor there are the objects and the people that had previously floated by, as well as Alice King's oversized fish puppets and a grotesque, huge sea creature. As the sea level diminishes, George is washed up on a beach where the rich holiday makers are steaming (literally) in the sun and where their skin peels as a result of the depleting ozone layer. The musical score is played live with the Britten Sinfonia positioned behind a transparent backdrop. Occasionally the musicians play on stage with the performers. However, the music was fiat, lacking in drama and unsuited to the action on stage. Beyond the Blue Horizon is visually enjoyable and exceedingly different to Trestle's previous shows.

Presenting Artists
Presenting Venue
Date Seen
  1. Nov 1997

This article in the magazine

Issue 10-1
p. 23