The Ballerina at The Vaults

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. 

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.