Moji Kareem
Utopia Theatre brings the magic of theatre to life with the rarely performed classic play, The Shepherd’s Chameleon – an absurdist farce.
Written by the man who turned the world of comedy upside down - Eugene Ionesco, this is your chance to escape the drudgery of everyday austerity and embrace the madcap world of absurdist comedy. In this fast paced physical production, the playwright is the shepherd and the world of theatre a chameleon. Take a ringside seat and watch Ionesco take on his theatrical critics in a ridiculous battle of wits that you won’t want to miss.
‘A vicious circle can have its virtues too! So long as you get out of it on time!’
Founded by award-winning artistic director - Moji Kareem, Utopia Theatre is about fusing sound, music, image, dance, video, puppetry, storytelling and text to create extraordinarily evocative images on stage. We are committed to bringing to life the magic of theatre through innovative productions that engage and communicate directly with the audience, and offering an intellectual rigour and visual flair to productions.
Eugene Ionesco (1909-1994) was a Romanian and French playwright and dramatist, and one of the foremost playwrights of the Theatre of the Absurd. Beyond ridiculing the most banal situations, Ionesco's plays depict in a tangible way, the solitude and insignificance of human existence. His work includes ‘The Bald Soprano’, ‘The Lesson’, ‘The Chairs’, ‘The Killer’ and ‘Rhinoceros’.
Moji Kareem directs this 60-minute physical rendition of Ionesco’s play. Her previous theatre directing credits include: House of Corrections (Riverside Studios) Pandora’s Box (Arcola Theatre, London) Wake Me When It's Time (York Theatre Royal, York), The Maids (York St John theatre Studio York), The Shepherd's Chameleon (York St John Theatre Studio, York) and The Duchess of Malfi (York St John theatre Studio, York).
In 2011, Moji Kareem was awarded the York Theatre Royal graduate prize for her technical directing skill and the creation of a strongly conceived and polished production for The Shepherd’s Chameleon.
The cast includes Thomas Solberg (Ionesco), Lucie Chester (Bartholomeus I), Olivia Nicholson (Bartholomeus II) and Sarah Sharman (Bartholomeus III).
* The Shepherd's Camelon runs at CLF Art Café, The Bussey Building, Peckham between 8th and 25th May 2013 at 7.30pm.