Persephone at Yohji Making Waves – The Wapping Project

The Wapping Project have an exquisite installation by iconic Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. The boiler house has been filled with water. A voluminous silk dress falls from the roof, reflecting in a dark pool of water that covers the floor. Delicate sound and light  create a meditative atmosphere. And a little boat carries visitors across the water. It seems as close as you can get to being inside a myth.

On Sunday 10 July I will tell the mysterious myth of Persephone in this other-worldly space. Performances will last 15 minutes, and will be repeated over the day. The story will be told from the boat, for small groups of audience standing on the pier.

The installation conjures images of Hades – the Land of the Dead – and a girl taken underground.  My story will evoke Persephone’s journey across the dark River Styx, to be Queen of the Underworld. But no one returns from The Land of Dead – how can Persephone ever come back? The installation is the perfect setting for this story. I am not  sure I will ever want to tell stories on dry land again!

Persephone at Yohji Making Waves

Sunday 10 July 2011

Performances are free, and at: 12.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00

The Wapping Project

Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, Wapping Wall,  London E1W3SG

The installation has been extended and will run through August

Details of other events from The Wapping Project Bookshop