SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE Will Come to Southwark Playhouse Borough This June

This summer, the critically acclaimed and double Offie Award winning stage adaptation of the anti-war sci-fi twentieth century classic Slaughterhouse-Five transfers to Southwark Playhouse Borough for a five week run, following its sell-out premiere at Brockley Jack Theatre in 2024

Kurt Vonnegut's timeless and satirical novel tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a soldier who becomes "unstuck in time" after he is abducted by aliens. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all the phases of his extraordinary life, from his time as a Prisoner of War during the firebombing of Dresden, to being a zoo exhibit on the planet Tralfamadore.  

Fusing satire, humour and poignancy Slaughterhouse Five is a desperate, anti-war plea against the destruction of human life that carries as much urgency today as it did when it was first published nearly six decades ago. Eric Simonson's startling adaptation brings this dizzyingly complex story to the stage with spectacular video design that somersaults between time and place, using only four actors to play multiple roles

“Slaughterhouse-Five is a story about many things”, explains Director and Video Designer, Douglas Baker.  “In looking at World War II through the lens of the bombing of Dresden, which was caused by the Allies that we usually see on the ‘right' side of history”, it underlines the absurdity of war, which feels incredibly relevant as more and more conflict breaks out around the world. Billy's time-hopping ability could be seen as a metaphor for his PTSD, how his past comes to haunt his present. But it also has plenty of humour, in Vonnegut's classic wry style, showing how weird and wonderful and bizarre our world really is.”