The Poem Reincarnating Theatre: Incisions and Excavations at the Old Operating Theatre

Event Information

An Occurrent Glow production in association with South Bank Poetry, part of the London Bridge Festival 2009

Incisions and Excavations invites you to take your place at the operating table for a magical and immersive hour of site-specific theatre within one of London’s most atmospheric museums.

Your patient: poetry. We will hold a stethoscope up to a collection of contemporary poems, exploring their beats and resonances as they emerge with new, theatrical forms born out of their connection with The Old Operating Theatre Museum in London Bridge.

Grafted into the roof of St. Thomas’s church, this 19th Century women’s surgery played host to amputations and childbirth in its day, and provided medical students with a raked auditorium from which they could scrutinise the operating table at its heart. The hospital apothecary practised his scientific art in the herb garret next-door, and it is through these two spaces that we hope to lead you on an evocation of life and love, death and delusion.

Occurrent Glow is a new company, set up to encounter the possibilities of poetry in play.

Performances: Friday 17th July (7pm), Saturday 18th July (5pm), Sunday 19th July (2pm, 5pm)

The ticket price includes a copy of South Bank Poetry magazine.

Entrance to museum is via a narrow spiral staircase from the street. Please note that this will be a promenade event; audience will be standing and moving throughout the show.