James Barnes returns with The Ballerina at VAULT Festival 2023

James Barnes is to return with the ground-breaking The Ballerina at VAULT Festival 2023.

After previously being cancelled due to the pandemic, the piece will run 31 January – 5 February 2023 at VAULT Festival’s Cavern space.

From leading theatre company Khaos and based on a true story, this ground-breaking production explores a refreshing take on what contemporary western audiences perceive as the African diplomatic class.

Directed by James Barnes (Barbie Comes to Tea, Talawa; Wolf and Dog, Young Vic ) and written by Anne Sophie-Marie, The Ballerina creates agency for a more diverse and introspective range of storytelling that audiences can be a part of.

The full cast largely returns for the limited run – with Edward Nkom (Years and Years, BBC; Doctors, BBC) as Pacifique, Adi Alfa (The Sypce of Life, Precision Aerial Film Works; Cranston and The Lynching by Jackie Walker) and Dominique Little (Sold By Mama, The Camden Fringe Festival/The Hope Theatre) as Colin.

The Ballerina is Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness meets Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Thrown into a cell and accused of conspiring to overthrow the government, Colin fights back with wit and great British banter. Faced with infamous master interrogator Pacifique Muamba, the young diplomat is about to be painfully re-educated and taken to the brink of madness.

Going against a stereotypical narrative, the antagonist Pacifique becomes the protagonist, subverting traditional theatrical conventions. The character is an amalgamation of Paul Kagame, Andre Leon Talley and Karl Lagerfeld, and represents the secretive individuals behind every dictatorship society. The Ballerina is Shakespearean in its proportions, redefining African imagery and leading Khaos’ charge as a new voice in the art world.

James Barnes, director and co-founder of Khaos said: “Experimenting with Artaud’s theatre of cruelty, we explore themes of violence that are unapologetic, inviting the audience to question their
deeper beliefs in the society we inhabit. We’re living in a time where despite having access to a world of information, we’re still very unaware of the reality of global politics. And this ignorance in the form of a vote, contributes to the very cycles of violence (seen and unseen) that we wish to stop.

“Through the character of Pacifique, you’re introduced to the walking amalgamation of Paul Kagame, Andre Leon Talley and Karl Lagerfeld. A sophisticated, cultured tactician that aims to win where all others have failed. The Ballerina celebrates the individuality of blackness… redefining Africanism imagery for a new generation.”

For more information and tickets, visit vaultfestival.com