MACABRE was devised by the company and then directed by 'Clive Mendus' of 'Theatre de Complicite'.  The piece  was an evolution of 'Theatre of the Macabre', our promenade  theatrical soap opera. As much as we enjoyed the intimacy of promenade work and the potential for audience interaction that it afforded us, we were aware that it wouldn't be practical to tour. We wanted to keep the sense of attack and the direct address that we had used well in the season, but had to find a way to keep an audience on their toes in  a more traditional 'end on' show. 

We had immense fun with this piece; bringing the house lights up on the audience, sawing through a (smelly) pigs trotter, singing a ditty about necrophilia, and invoking the devil.  All in the worst possible taste of course.

And audiences liked it as much as we did:

“…I had a great time…We, would have congratulated the performers at the end, but thought it might have been in bad taste, since they were dead…”

(Ramsey Campbell, winner of the Bram Stoker award,

the World Fantasy award and the British Fantasy award.)

“Theatre at its most cutting edge.  The company’s work is gripping and highly entertaining.'

  (BBC Radio Merseyside)

“…a very different sort of evening…a weird and unusual atmosphere…performed with creepy relish.”

(Liverpool Daily Post)

“Macabre and sinister with a rich vein of black humour: this is a company with a real sense of theatre and definitely one to watch.”

(Told by an Idiot)

“A wonderfully entertaining, original piece of theatre, excellently performed.  ‘Macabre’ is a clever mix of comedy and genuinely spine tingling story telling.”

(Rejects Revenge)