In the Beginning was the End

28 January – 30 March 2013

This event has now finished

Acclaimed site-responsive theatre company dreamthinkspeak returned to Somerset House with a new large-scale production, inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, The Book of Revelation and the world of Mechatronics.

Visitors took a journey through the maze-like underground passages and unseen spaces of King's College and Somerset House into a world of calamitous accidents and divine revelations.

Mixing Leonardo-inspired hydraulics and modern mechanical engineering with dreamthinkspeak’s special blend of film, installation and live performance, it revealed a vision of the world either on the verge of collapse – or the brink of rebirth.

dreamthinkspeak returned to Somerset House after the sell-out success of their 2004 show Don’t Look Back. Led by artistic director Tristan Sharps, the company is internationally recognised for its site-responsive performances in a range of unusual spaces, including an underground abattoir in Clerkenwell, a disused paper factory in Moscow and the Old Treasury Building in Perth, Australia.

"Enthralling. Keep your eyes open for surprises and wordless wonders"
The Telegraph ****

"Mind-boggling. Moments of breath-taking beauty and emotional power" Metro ****

"...beautiful Alice in Wonderland journey beneath the architectural splendour of Somerset House" Financial Times ****

“... brave, bittersweet, bonkers and beautiful. Buy your ticket now.” Huffington Post *****

‘…it will change the way you see a London landmark – and possibly your way of life.’
Time Out

“dreamthinkspeak have been quietly reinventing site-specific theatre for some years now” The Independent

In the Beginning was the End was co-commissioned by Somerset House Trust, King’s Cultural Institute and TippingPoint. Sponsored by Bloomberg. Supported by Arts Council England.