Rorschach is re-imagining Neil Gaiman’s NEVERWHERE for 2017: new cast members, cutting edge design…and we want you to be part of it!
NEVERWHERE By Neil Gaiman
Adapted for the stage by Robert Kauzlaric Directed by Jenny McConnell Frederick
September 2 – October 1, 2017 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center
“I had the strangest experience leaving the theatre tonight. It was like the world outside was the world of your play. I was freezing cold and I saw things I never see, and then I got lost in Trinidad. I search for transformative theatre, as I suspect we all do, and I’m usually frustrated. This was…well, other-worldly.” – NEVERWHERE audience member, 2013
Rorschach Theatre is bringing our 2013 summer hit NEVERWHERE back to Washington with a new cast and cutting edge design for 2017 … and YOU can be part of bringing this transformative theatre from fantasy to reality!
About NEVERWHERE 2017
Neil Gaiman’s NEVERWHERE is an epic fantasy story turned action-packed theatre experience following the extraordinary journey of Richard Mayhew and a girl named Door. When Richard stumbles upon an injured young woman on the streets of London, he has no idea that he has also stumbled upon the fantastical world of London Below: a grimy but magical realm home to people, beings, and things lost between the cracks of British history and society. Sucked into a world of monsters, tricksters, beasts and angels, Richard learns that life is far more interesting than you can imagine … if you just know where to look.
With over 40 characters and more than 20 unique locations, our immersive production of this cherished story uses lighting, sound, costume, sets, projection, puppetry and more to bring you into the dark tunnels of London Below. And … not to brag … it’s pretty awesome.
But, don’t take our word for it. Here’s what critics said about our 2013 production:
At this point, you might be asking yourself: is this just a remount of the show I saw four years ago? Rest assured, this production of NEVERWHERE is an inventive revival of that show you saw four years ago.
The 2017 production will have some brand new cast members and returning cast in different roles, as well as some new designers updating the play for today. Your favorite performers will be revisiting their roles as Richard Mayhew, Door, Islington, and more. One exciting change we can share – spoiler alert – is that set and projections will be team designed by Pixelumen Lab, who specialize in high-tech, unconventional spaces that are highly interactive. That means that our revival will be full of new and surprising ways for you to rediscover London Below.
We know how much NEVERWHERE is loved by fans of the play, the book, the BBC series … so the most important development for this revival is that we want YOU to be part of Team Neverwhere! By contributing to this Kickstarter campaign, you will not only support the show, but also receive a small part of it: t-shirts, props, walk-on roles – all perks available to Kickstarter donors.
Perks for Team Neverwhere members include …
* A backstage meet and greet with the cast!
* A walk-on role where you can literally be part of the show!
* The prop of your choice from the show — an original, not a replica!
* A beautiful, limited edition printing of Neverwhere signed by Neil Gaiman himself! (pictured below)
* And more!
As a Kickstarter donor, you will be part of Team NEVERWHERE and team Rorschach Theatre. Rorschach has a long track record as a gutsy small theatre and we have been producing in DC for nearly two decades. We’ve received significant acclaim for our fierce performance style, our bold use of theatrical space and our dedication to challenging works that are both relevant and timeless. We are especially drawn to new epic works of magic realism, plays that help to reveal the contemporary relevance of fable, plays that find magic in rough spaces, plays that connect timeless works to a contemporary audience. In other words, NEVERWHERE is the perfect reflection of what we love about theatre.
We’ve received awards, nominations, and all sorts of kudos from the press which you can peruse on our website. You can also like our Facebook page for updates and behind-the-scenes action from NEVERWHERE!
One main reason we want you to be part of Team Neverwhere is also one of our biggest challenges: the “impossible” world of London Below.
Check out this stage direction that we will bring to life:
“It is as if the lid has been pulled off something dark and writhing; a place of derangement and fury and utter viciousness … serene beauty cracks; its eyes flash and it screams at them, crazy-scary and uncontrolled, utterly certain in its righteousness”
Creating this exceptional world and bringing it to you at the Atlas Performing Arts Center will require more resources than our average show. Your membership with Team Neverwhere will support cutting edge and fully interactive design from Pixelumenlab; revitalized and updated designs of Debra Kim Sivigny’s iconic costumes; dozens of eclectic props from edible rats to glowing eggs; and mind blowing combat sequences.
Your support as a member of Team Neverwhere is especially important to the project because a full ⅔ of our budget comes from patrons … just like you! Like most independent theatre companies, Rorschach relies on a community of people who care about our work to keep our doors open with mind bending theatre waiting on the other side.
As we return to London Below, we want to make sure the people who love it as much as we do are along for the ride … so don’t overlook this opportunity to make life far more interesting than you could possibly imagine.
Thanks!
Randy Baker and Jenny McConnell Frederick
Co-Artistic Directors, Rorschach Theatre