Photography by Edward Waring
In 1968, George A Romero‘s groundbreaking cult classic, Night of the Living Dead, began life as a low-budget independent zombie-horror telling the story of seven strangers taking refuge from flesh- eating ghouls in an isolated and deserted farmhouse.
52 years on, seven performers have recreated the film in a unique shot-for-shot co- production between imitating the dog, one of the UK’s most original and innovative theatre companies, and Leeds Playhouse.
Directed by imitating the dog’s co-artistic directors Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks, Night of the Living Dead – Remix comes to HOME, Manchester from Wednesday 18 to Saturday 21 March 2020, as part of an extensive national tour.
The cast features Laura Atherton, Morgan Bailey, Luke Bigg, William James Holstead, Morven Macbeth, Matt Prendergast and Adela Rajnović.
Armed with cameras, a box of props, and a rail of costumes, can the cast recreate the ground-breaking film, shot-for-shot, before our eyes, using whatever they can lay their hands on? With 1,076 edits in 95 minutes, it’s a heroic struggle. Success will require wit, skill, and ingenuity, and is by no means guaranteed.
In this new stage production, masters of digital theatre imitating the dog create a love-song to the original 1968 film, a remaking and remixing, which attempts to understand the past in order not to have to repeat it.
imitating the dog’s version is in turns humorous, terrifying, thrilling, thought- provoking, and joyous. Above all, in the retelling, it becomes a searing parable for our own complex times.
The production’s creative team features design by Laura Hopkins (Black Watch and Peter Pan, National Theatre of Scotland; The Divide, Edinburgh International Festival and The Old Vic); projection and video design by Simon Wainwright (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Royal Court); lighting by Andrew Crofts (Trash Cuisine, Belarus Free Theatre and The Young Vic); and original music composed by James Hamilton.
