The Pit was not The Pits

I don’t always take stock of the many theatrical performance venues which I’ve visited over the years, which can sometimes lead to a theatrical memory immediately coming to the forefront of my mind. This was the case when discussing a play with fellow blogger Russ the other day; this play had been featured at The Pit in The Barbican Centre within the City of London.

I visited the Barbican at least five times; twice in 2004, once in 2005 and twice in 2007. Two of those visits were to the aforementioned Pit, way in the basement of the Brutalist complex. When I refer to the “ground floor”, as it is better known in European terminology, I don’t mean simply walking down one flight of stairs. This theatre is nestled in one specific part of that level, only accessible via one or two stairway and “lift” options. In another part of the complex, there is another ground level, and this one has a similarly convoluted entrance “scheme” - again using a British phrase synonymous with the American English “plan” for getting from one place to another.

Back to the Pit. This theatre space offers flexible seating and arrangements that can change for each show, much like a standard black box space. The second show which I attended there, Europe by David Greig, stands out strongly in my theatrical memory. It’s interesting to see that the revival made the news of VARIETY, while the Barbican still has it featured on the archives page of their own website. But I’m not writing this entry to talk only about the play, Europe. Something about that whole evening experience in the Pit - the enigmatic lighting, evocative sound design, powerful script, leaving the Barbican and heading into a rough mid-winter evening in the city of London... made it stay fresh in my mind over four years later. The Pit was just the start, or maybe it was the peak, of the experience.

I often wonder if other theatre-goers may treat their plays as a whole experience where it is not just about the one play. I hope that others consider the many parts that play into their theatre viewing, not just as a highbrow experience as it is often pigeonholed in USA culture, but as a natural part of life.