A millionaire who grew up in poverty will do just about anything to gain more power and wealth at the expense of the class he was once a member of, but when his children challenge his ruthless exploitation, he is forced to commit the unthinkable. Female-led international company Collide Theatre are bringing Georg Kaiser’s The Coral to the UK for the first time in 100 years this Autumn. Part parable, part family drama, and part thriller, this Expressionist play, radical for its time, is an exploration of humankind’s infatuation with money and the power it holds over those who possess it. Kaiser’s plays ask vital questions about how we choose to lead our lives and The Coral, the first part of his didactic Gas trilogy, is no exception.
A millionaire is intent on acquiring as much wealth as possible in order to distance himself from his unhappy poverty-stricken childhood and ruthlessly exploits the poor in his efforts. When his socialist influenced children become conscious of his misdeeds, they reject him and his wealth. As a result, the millionaire desires a new identity and, with it, a new carefree past by exchanging his life for that of another man. A man whose one physical difference is a piece of coral on his suit.
Director Emily Louizou said: “Written more than 100 years ago The Coral is a stark depiction of a capitalist society rotting away. Kaiser was writing just after the end of the First World War - in a forever transformed world - presenting a prophetic vision of a society doomed to destruction. Why are we staging it today? Because our world has - to one’s despair - too many similarities with Kaiser’s world. Collide’s passion for an expressionist aesthetic and dream-like visual theatrical language provides the perfect frame for an evening full of twisted doppelgangers, nightmarish visions, and futile escapes.”
Collide Theatre is a London-based and female-led international company. Formed by director Emily Louizou in 2015, Collide's mission is to discover hidden gems and re-invent classic texts, merging storytelling with dance, live music and a highly visual language. Since its inception, Collide has created five critically acclaimed sold-out productions in London and Manchester, and has collaborated with more than 50 artists from around the world. In 2019, Collide was named by the New Diorama Theatre as “one of the ten most promising companies to watch”. Since 2019 Collide has also been running - in conjunction with Oxford University - the ‘Young Players of Collide’ which aims to explore theatre-making as a tool for communication for students whose mother tongue is not English.
Running Time: 120 mins approx. (with interval) | Suitable for ages 13+
Company Information
Directed by Emily LouizouWritten by Georg Kaiser
Translated by B.J. KenworthySet and costume design by Ioana Curelea
Movement Direction by Ioli FilippakopoulouMusic Composition by David Denyer
4 October – 29 October 2022
Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED
Tues – Sat 7.30pm, Sat – Sun matinees at 3.00pm
Previews 4th & 5th October: £15 all seats
Prices until 16 Oct: £20 (£18 concs) *except Tues evenings all £18, and Fri & Sat evenings all £20
£10 tickets for Under 30s Tues – Sun first week when booked online
£15 tickets for residents of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on 8 Oct at 7.30pm when booked online
Prices from 18 Oct: £23 (£20 concs) *except Tues evenings all £20, and Fri & Sat all £23
Group Bookings for all performances: 1 free ticket in every 10 purchased
www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk | 020 7244 7439
