“The Encounter” by Simon McBurney and Complicité is having its virtual premiere at onassis.org
On Friday, May 15th at 21:00 (UTC +3) we meet in an "exotic" hi-tech experience
Under the guidance of Simon McBurney and Complicité, on Friday, May 15th we tune in at onassis.org for a synaesthetic experience through The Encounter. The tropical rain forests of the Amazon invites us to commune as never before with nature, time, memory, culture—and hence with ourselves.
A restless explorer of theatrical narrative, new technology and audiovisual form, founder of the legendary Complicite theatre company, which has defined and redefined the contemporary international scene since 1983, the dramatist, director and actor Simon McBurney performs in Athens for the first time.
Photo © Robbie Jack
We wear headphones in a playful ritual which is clearly of 21st-century provenance. And that’s because the distinguished sound-designer Gareth Fry (London Olympics, 2012) uses advanced binaural technology to create a 3D-audio soundscape of the primeval—and now endangered—Amazon ecosystem; it’s as though we’re right there in the Earth’s lung.
Photo © Stavros Petropoulos
It all started with a book McBurney read twenty years ago and never forgot: “Amazon Beaming” by the Rumanian author Petru Popescu. The work relates the true story of a “National Geographic” photo journalist, Loren McIntyre, who in 1969 disappeared into the rainforests between Peru and Brazil on an assignment to find the mythical source of the Amazon. Rescued by the members of an unknown tribe, he was initiated through their rituals into a strange, consciousness-expanding experience.
On Telegraph's list with "100 most influential people of British culture" Simon McBurney is on number 31.
“The Encounter”, a solo recital by McBurney, is Complicite’s latest production, an international co-production with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Onassis Stegi, the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne and another three important European theatres.
Simon McBurney / Complicité, The Encounter
With English and Greek subtitles
Duration: 120 minutes
You will need to wear headphones to experience the full 3D-audio experience.
Available until May, 22nd
