Dimly lit scene of people energetically moving atop and around rows of chairs in a shadowy room, conveying a sense of urgency and motion.

Underworld

Live Production | 2012, 5 hours

About

TOPICS & THEMES
  • Site Specific
  • Festival

Trapped in an airless, dusty land of the living dead, Underworld is Vincent’s darkly haunting take on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, created for the longest, darkest, filthiest of the Dark Arches under Leeds Railway Station and seen by over 10,000 people over a weekend in 2012, draws on the myth of Orpheus & Eurydice and is inspired by the work of acclaimed artists The Quay Brothers.

Eight athletic performers engage in a series of disconcerting, relentless rituals and beautiful vignettes to form constantly shifting, visually striking cinematographic images, formed with 150 chapel chairs and accompanied by a stunning soundtrack of rushing rivers, church bells and faint children’s voices by internationally renowned composer Gavin Bryars.

Originally devised with Phoenix Dance Theatre for OverWorlds & UnderWorlds in 2012, VDT re-staged Underworld in 2015 as a 5 hour durational work / 2 hour production as part of our 21 Years / 21 Works , a live and online collection of Artistic Director/Choreographer Charlotte Vincent’s film and production work that toured to Shoreditch Town Hall London, Dance Xchange  Birmingham, Warwick Arts Centre and Brighton Festival 2015. Look At Me Now Mummy also featured at WOW Festival at London’s South Bank Centre in 2015.

Underworld was originally commissioned by Leeds Canvas for the Artists Taking the Lead 2012 Cultural Olympiad project Overworlds and Underworlds as a collaboration between Phoenix Dance Theatre and Charlotte Vincent,

Credits

Directed and Designed by

Rehearsal Director

Anna Williams

Devised and Performed by

Azzurra Ardovini, , , Patrycja Kujawska, Silvia Mercuriali, , Phil Sanger, Josh Wille, Greig Cooke

Composer

Gavin Bryars

Sound Design by

Mic Pool

Production Manager

Sound Technician

Elb Hall

Lighting Design

Jason Taylor

Videos

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Underworld, 2015 - the work explained by Artistic Director Charlotte Vincent.

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Underworld, 2015 - trailer.
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Critical response and audience reactions to Underworld, set as part of 21YEARS/21 WORKS. Filmed on opening night at Shoreditch Town Hall, UK, March 2015.
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Audience response to Underworld, set as part of the 21 YEARS /21 WORKS Spring tour, 2015.
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Overworlds and Underworlds, 2012 - trailer.

Photos

Dimly lit room with six people dynamically moving between rows of stacked chairs. Dramatic lighting and fog create an intense, theatrical atmosphere.
A man with outstretched arms stands center stage, surrounded by six others, under a spotlight in a dimly lit theatre, conveying drama and intensity.
Dimly lit warehouse with dirt floor and scattered chairs in background. A person lunges forward toward a small, dark horse figurine under glowing chandelier.
Seven people kneel in a dimly lit, rustic room with exposed brick walls, under dramatic lighting. The mood is solemn and introspective.
A group of people, silhouetted and standing in a line, face forward in a dimly lit industrial setting. Overhead lights cast dramatic shadows.
Dimly lit scene of people moving among rows of empty chairs on a stage, with one person carrying another. A spotlight casts dramatic shadows, evoking tension.
A musician plays drums under dramatic stage lighting, silhouetted by bright beams and shadowy surroundings, creating a mysterious and intense atmosphere.
A dimly lit room with rows of wooden chairs, one person sitting calmly in the foreground while blurred figures in motion suggest hurried activity. The atmosphere feels tense and dramatic.
Dimly lit underground venue with exposed brick walls, metal beams, and a central chandelier. A few people are arranging chairs, creating an intimate, moody atmosphere.
A group of people stands solemnly behind a row of empty chairs in a dimly lit setting. The atmosphere is tense and serious, conveying anticipation.
A group of five people dressed in dark clothing stand in a dimly lit space. The atmosphere is tense, with a spotlight on a bald man in the foreground.
Dark, industrial setting with people in coats jumping over rows of chairs amid bright stage lights, creating a sense of urgency and chaos.
A dimly lit scene shows a sombre mood. Three men sit on scattered chairs; one leans over another wrapped in a checked blanket, suggesting comfort or despair.
A man in a suit stands with arms outstretched beneath a glowing chandelier in a dimly lit room, surrounded by sombre onlookers. The scene conveys drama and tension.
A dimly lit scene shows a person slumped over the edge of a bathtub in the foreground. In the background, four people sit around a table under soft light, creating a sombre mood.
Two individuals kneel in a dimly lit theater with chairs lining the sides. The atmosphere is sombre, with cool blue lighting and shadows.
Seven people are seated in a dimly lit theatre, heads bowed under bright stage lights. The atmosphere conveys sombreness and introspection.
A group of people sits in a row on stage under dim lighting, casting shadows. The setting is dramatic and sombre, with a focus on emotion and intensity.
Dimly lit theater scene with a vintage chandelier hanging above. Seven people stand among scattered chairs on a rustic stage, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
A black-and-white image of a dimly lit warehouse with people silhouetted against bright stage lights. One person is jumping onto a stack of chairs. The scene conveys energy and movement.
Dimly lit black and white theatre scene with scattered chairs and shadowy figures. Spotlight highlights activity, creating a mysterious, dramatic atmosphere.
A dark, industrial setting with silhouetted figures arranging a spotlighted art installation, casting dramatic shadows. Edgy and mysterious atmosphere.
Break dancer performing a handstand in a dimly-lit industrial hall, illuminated by a chandelier. The mood is intense and dynamic, highlighting urban artistry.
A person dramatically extends their arms in a dimly lit, industrial setting. Five others stand behind, illuminated by a warm chandelier overhead, conveying intensity.
A dimly lit stage shows a tense scene with three people. A woman sits writing on paper at a table with chairs around, while another stands nearby reaching towards her. A third person stands in the shadows, watching. The mood is sombre and dramatic.
A woman in a green dress knits while sitting on a chair in a dim, rustic room with brick walls. A man runs past under a chandelier, adding tension.
Two women are in a dimly lit, rustic theater set. One sits winding yarn on a spinning wheel, while the other stands, looking contemplative. The scene evokes a sombre, introspective mood.
A dimly lit stage shows a woman in minimal clothing, appearing tense or cold, standing near a man in dark clothing. The scene conveys a sombre, dramatic tone.
A person sits anxiously in a metal tub while water pours down from above, surrounded by dim light and empty chairs, creating a tense, dramatic atmosphere.
A lone person sits curled up in an empty metal tub under a spotlight in a dimly lit room, surrounded by chairs, evoking feelings of solitude and melancholy.
A person in white clothing stands in a spotlight within a dimly lit room, arms outstretched, next to a large metal basin, creating a dramatic, contemplative mood.
Dimly lit, industrial theater scene with three actors seated center-stage, wearing masks. Empty chairs line the sides. A sombre, atmospheric mood.
A dimly lit scene shows seven people in an industrial setting. A man kneels in the foreground. The mood is tense and dramatic, with exposed brick walls and scaffolding.
A dramatic stage scene shows a man in a suit dancing exuberantly under a chandelier in a dimly lit, rustic setting, with five people watching behind him.
A group of people sit in a row on chairs under dim stage lights, with an illuminated sign above. The scene conveys a dramatic and introspective mood.

Press

“Contemporary dance fans should beat a path to her door... Superb performances... Vincent choreographs with such a specific attention to gesture, atmosphere and motive… a fully imagined world. ★★★★”
Luke Jennings, The Observer, 15 March 2015
“On paper, the images sound random but Vincent choreographs with such a specific attention to gesture, atmosphere and motive that in performance they feel part of a fully imagined world. ★★★★”
Judith Mackrell, The Guardian, 6 March 2015
“Fluid and evocative”

Culture Leeds

Marketing

Underworld promoters pack, 2013.

Underworld promoters pack, 2013.

Technical & Design

Underworld technical specification document

Download PDF

Underworld music road map, by Gavin Bryars

Download PDF