Society’s celebrity obsessed culture and ego-centric famous people are central themes in a musical comedy coming to The Thwaites Empire Theatre.
‘Game of Souls’ is a dynamic, new show blending comedy with music as two demons play a hellish game of chess, using famous humans on earth as chess pieces. It’s written by comedy playwright John Waterhouse, with the songs co-written by Rob Smith. The show is directed by Alastair Zyggu, and is presented by the Cheshire-based theatre company, Casagua Productions.
This is a new departure for John who has written ten other productions, this being the first with music. He explains, ‘The show is a satire on our celebrity obsessed cultures fuelled by reality television shows, the press and social media, and pokes fun at the lengths that some will go to in the pursuit of fame and public success. The question is how much control do they really possess and can celebrities ever control their own egos?’
‘After meeting in a lesser part of hell, two demons decide to play a game of chess using humans as pieces, during which, they try to alter the course of each pieces’ destiny. Using comedy and song, our humans, all of whom are high profile famous people, find themselves in awkward situations.
The ‘game’ starts in a London hotel bedroom, centring on a rising young politician who has started an affair with an actress. After he is exposed, events quickly move on to newspaper offices, a television chat show and the Olympic Games, with a few clandestine meetings in restaurants and a park along the way. The worlds of parliament and the behind-the-scenes wheels of power in the civil service are then brought into play and two leading pieces are taken; one whilst on holiday in the Caribbean and the other during a celebrity dance contest on TV. Two important questions remain; just how much free will do the chess pieces really possess and are their own egos, greed and lust far more powerful motivators than any influence from the demons?
‘Game of Souls’ Thwaites Empire Theatre (Blackburn) Friday 22nd May
Tickets: £14.50 & £12. Book Online