Dante´s Divina Commedia - Inferno

Black Moon Theatre Company present a stirring interpretation of Dante, with a strong tone of decadence pervading its examinations of humanity.

The tone of the show is set at the beginning as a cello player bedecked entirely in ghostly attire sits in her solitude behind a full stage projection screen, upon which images of various degrees of corporeal decay and delight are paraded throughout the show. Captivatingly visual from the offset, she is soon joined by another white-clad figure, whom recites a selection of Dante´s cantos in Italian. An impressive stage presence, his performance errs very close to operatic as we follow the cadence of his implorations and incantations.

The performance includes English intertitles which give a summary of each of the cantos. These are quite sparse however, with the majority of the show consisting of incantations in Italian. Without a good understanding of Italian, the viewer is left grasping for material between the intertitles. While the visuals are captivating and do an admirable job of making the poetry in the text felt, the performance relies almost entirely on this element.

While the the show peaks very early on due to the constancy in delivery and lack of physical movement, it is definitely worth a look for its beguiling imagery.