Halifax Villain’s Theatre presents The Blazing World, a new adaptation of one of the first works of science fiction.
This weekend, the Saint John Theatre Company welcomes Halifax based Villain’s Theatre to the BMO Studio Theatre for their imaginative and poetic sci-fi odyssey, The Blazing World, a play about wanting to make a change without quite knowing where to start.
The play follows the story of Peg, a scientist studying a dying species of fly which lives on a rapidly dissolving glacier in the Rocky Mountains. Unsure of how to make a difference, she embarks on a desperate journey which propels her into a strange new universe. Exploring the terror of being overwhelmed in a changing world where our options seem to oscillate between panic and apathy, this new play melds contemporary issues with a science fiction epic inspired by Margaret Cavendish, one of the most unique female philosopher-poets in western history.
“To say that Cavendish, and her 1666 work, were ahead of their time is an immense understatement,” said director Ryanne Chisholm. “The original text focuses on issues of science, politics, identity, and gender issues that are at the forefront of public discussion in 2018 – more than 350 years later. Cavendish’s work was described as genre blending, and with her new adaptation Colleen MacIsaac is doing the same – highlighting the issue of climate change by drawing both on classical text and naturalistic dialogue, while still somehow managing to feel like post-modern fantasy and science fiction. She is also doing so in a world and genre that is still male-dominated – more than 350 years later.”
The Blazing World | June 1-2 | BMO Studio Theatre, 112 Princess Street | 7:30 p.m. | Tickets are $22.50, $15 for students | View Event
