The Last Days of Mankind – European Co-operation Project with Leith Theatre

Yard Heads dramaturg and director John Paul McGroarty worked with producer Alexandra Lort Phillips to deliver this collaborative show at Leith Theatre, the first professional theatre show in almost three decades to take place in the venue.  

The collaboration was based on an exchange and cooperation project with Theaterlabor Bielefeld, Germany, Teatr A Part, Katowice Poland, Plavo Požoriste, Belgrade, Serbia, Smashing Times, Dublin, Association Arsène, Alsace.

JP co-directed the piece with Yuri Birte Anderson and the work presented developed workshop material from Karl Kraus’s epic play from WW1 Vienna ‘The Last Days of Mankind‘ using a new translation by author Patrick Healy

New music for the show was commissioned from anarchic cabaret operatic band The Tiger Lillies fronted by song-writer Martyn Jaques.

An album of photographs of the show can be viewed on Flickr

The play was well received by reviewers and the public:

11 November – CommonSpace

https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/13532/theatre-review-last-days-mankind

Review by John Davis

12 November – The Scotsman ****

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews-the-last-days-of-mankind-leith-theatre-puffin-scottish-storytelling-centre-edinburgh-1-4828152

Great war epic shows conflict…

12 November – The Herald ****

https://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/17217453.review-the-last-days-of-mankind-leith-theatre-edinburgh-four-stars/

12 November – edinburghguide.com ****

https://www.edinburghguide.com/reviews/theatre/thelastdaysofmankindleiththeatrereview-1

12 November – alledinburghtheatre ****

https//www.alledinburghtheatre.com/?s=The+last+days+of+mankind

13 November – theweereview ****

https://theweereview.com/review/the-last-days-of-mankind/

13 November – Morning Star *****

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/timely-satire-lessons-unlearned-war-end-all-wars

13 November – The Edinburgh Reporter

https://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2018/11/at-leith-theatre-the-last-days-of-mankind/

14 November – The Stage ****

https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2018/last-days-mankind-review-leith-theatre/

14 November – Irish Examiner

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/views/columnists/gerard-howlin/sanitation-of-time-and-memorial-this-is-hell-reinvented-as-disney

Sanitation of time and memorial…

14 November – reviewsphere *****

https://www.reviewsphere.org/theatre-review-the-last-days-of-mankind/

14 November – The Times ***

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-savage-anti-war-opus-that-does-not-pull-its-punches-0mxkxs0hj

15 November – My Theatre Mates ****

Review

14 November – The Fountain ***

https://thefountain.eu/theatre/2018/11/review-the-last-days-of-mankind/ttps://mytheatremates.com/the-last-days-of-mankind-edinburgh-thom/

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