Theatre of Blood

A stage adaptation of the stylish 70s horror movie "Theatre of Blood". It is the story of an actor who takes bloody revenge for a lifetime of bad reviews by murdering theatre critics in a series of Shakespearean deaths.

The critics variously meet their end by stabbing, spearing, burning, drowning, having their heart cut out, and being forced to eat a pie with their pet poodles in it. This bloody tale of artistic retribution is adapted by Lee and Phelim and is directed by Phelim.

Improbable would like to point out that any similarity to any theatre critics living, dead, or who might have given us a bad review is entirely coincidental.

Click here to see more of Theatre of Blood.

The image below shows our Theatre of Blood cake! Made for us by Rachel Mount.

THEATRE OF BLOOD recently finished its run at The National Theatre.

THEATRE OF BLOOD recently finished its run in the Lyttleton Theatre at the National Theatre .

THEATRE OF BLOOD scripts can be ordered through Oberon Books .

THEATRE OF BLOOD workpacks (a resource for teachers, students, researchers or anyone wanting more background information on the performance) can be downloaded from here.

To hear Radio 4's Saturday Review of Theatre of Blood click on video/animation below.

THEATRE OF BLOOD is a collaboration between Improbable and the National Theatre, by arrangement with MGM on Stage.

Written by Lee Simpson and Phelim McDermott, based on the MGM/Sam Jaffe/Harbor Productions Film, an idea by Stanley Mann and John Kohn, and the screenplay by Anthony Greville-Bell.

Director
Phelim McDermott
Associate Director
Lee Simpson

The creative team is Phelim McDermott, Director; Rae Smith, Designer; Lee Simpson, Associate Director; Colin Grenfell, Lighting Designer; Joby Talbot, Music, published by Chester Music Limited; Paul Kieve, Illusionist; Terry King, Fight Director; Gareth Fry, Sound Designer; Lucy Foster, Staff Director; William Fricker, Design Assistant.

The cast is Gerard Bell, Paul Bentall, Bette Bourne, Jim Broadbent, Hayley Carmichael, Sally Dexter, Stephen Harper, Nick Haverson, Mark Lockyer, Tim McMullan, Rachael Spence, Steve Steen, Rachael Stirling, Victoria Willing and Edward Woodall.

Photographs on website for THEATRE OF BLOOD by: Keith Pattison, 2005