Scytheplays' second announced contribution to the Manchester Horror Fringe will be Baz Greenland's science-fiction chiller Centurion, performing at FAB Cafe, Portland Street on the 22nd, 26th, 27th and 28th of October.
It tells the story of the three-person crew of the spaceship Venture, who think they are alone on the remote planet to which they have been dispatched to conduct environmental tests ahead of a possible colonisation. But one of them sees a human-like figure stalking the landscape outside the ship. They soon discover clues that suggest the planet has been visited before - possibly by the legendary lost spaceship, Centurion...
The first original (as opposed to adapted) piece of drama produced by Scytheplays since its first production, Kevin Cuffe's The Say Can Blues in July 2011, Centurion came about when writer Baz Greenland approached Scytheplays about writing one of the horror fringe's literary adaptations (and indeed he has written one of the story adaptations in Hotel Midnight). Creative director Daniel Thackeray takes up the story: "In the early discussions Baz pitched a horror story set in deep space which was interesting, but which didn't quite suit the gothic horror style I was after at the time. However, when it became clear that Manchester's FAB Cafe were keen to host a show in the horror fringe, Baz's idea seemed like the ideal fit. The bespoke sci-fi environment of FAB offers unique possibilities and Baz jumped at the chance to tailor his script specifically for the venue."
Directed by Paul Anderton, who recently helmed Organised Chaos Productions' Broken for its critically acclaimed North West tour this year, Centurion promises an intimate and intense site-specific experience which is pure theatre, but that tips its hat to movies such as Alien and Event Horizon. Tickets will be £7 on the door or £5 concessions (with a half-price preview on the 22nd), or you can book via WeGotTickets at the links below.
Half-price preview - Tuesday October 22nd, 7.30pm
Half-price preview - Tuesday October 22nd, 7.30pm (concessions)
Saturday October 26th, 1pm
