
Orbits

Orbits follows the planet-sized egos of the left wing German playwright Bertolt Brecht and Hollywood film star Charles Laughton as they negotiate the translation and adaptation of Brecht’s play ‘Life of Galileo’ for its American premiere, with Laughton playing the lead.
The themes of ‘Life of Galileo’ – an account of Galileo’s trial for the heresy of believing that the Earth orbits the Sun and his subsequent recantation under threat of torture – are reflected in the lives of Laughton, a gay man in the climate of 1940s America, and Brecht, whose left wing sympathies would lead him before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
The play explores how – just as Galileo crumbled under the Inquisition – Brecht’s beloved ‘concrete truth’ could crumble under pressures, political, historical and personal.
Cast & Creatives
Writer – Wally Sewell
Director – Anthony Shrubsall
Producer – Lucy Appleby
Actor (playing Brecht) – Peter Saracen
Actor (playing Laughton) – Edmund Dehn
Costume Designer – Mariya Ivanova
Website & Social Media
Website: www.entiretheatrecompany.com
Twitter: @entiretheatre
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Entire-Theatre-Company-1713681858854357/
Review / Quotes
★★★★ “Tracks the fine line between genius and vanity” – The Stage
★★★★ “Forces us to reflect on questions about the nature of scientific and dramatic truth” – Live Theatre UK
★★★★ “A must for those who desire theatre that stimulates the mind ” – Everything Theatre
★★★★ “A remarkable and thought-provoking piece of theatre” – Theatre Bubble
★★★★ “Gains intensity in the intimate auditorium” – Pocket Size Theatre
★★★★ “…Some really funny moments…” “Very strong two person play…” Matthew Partridge – Remote Goat
★★★★ “…Like a boxing match, the two characters jab punches towards each other’s beliefs, convictions and philosophies.” “…a highly enjoyable play…” Penny Culliford – Remote Goat
“…A remarkable account of a remarkable series of meetings… …beautifully performed, I only wished I had had the chance to see the play again because I am certain it would reward repeated viewings…” Tony Palmer – film director
“A fascinating play about two great artists.” Carolin Kopplin – UK Theatre Network
“…A fine play…” “…both actors were excellent…” Starcourse blog
“Truly gripping and thought provoking… …as relevant today as it was in Germany in the 1940s or in seventeenth century Rome.” Anne Dunhill – Independent Catholic News Review
Date
Time
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: 18 May 2020 - 24 May 2020
- Time: All Day
Location
Artist
Entire Theatre Company
The Entire Theatre Company – motto 'Small Stage, Big Ideas' – stages two-man plays, all performed by our two in-house actors, written by an in-house playwright and directed by an in-house director. It was formed around the production of ORBITS, as originally commissioned for the Ealing Autumn Festival. Actors Edmund Dehn and Peter Saracen had previously collaborated with director Anthony Shrubsall and writer Wally Sewell on a production of Wally's play The Adventure of the Crying Boy, a speculative psychological examination of Sherlock Holmes' and Doctor Watson's relationship. After playing for three nights at the festival, and the company's ranks being swelled by producer Lucy Appleby, ORBITS enjoyed two short runs at the White Bear, Kennington before appearing at the Hoftheater Sigmaringen in Germany – where this video was filmed – and TAK in Kolberg, Poland. In 2017 the show received a three week run at the Drayton Arms Theatre in Brompton, garnering multiple four star reviews.
Past Shows
Confessions Of A Rabbi’s Daughter
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Indecent Musings of Miss Doncaster 2007
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Waiting For Hamlet – An Audio Play!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
“The Masks of Aphra Behn” and “Oranges & Ink” – A Double Bill!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Goodbye: The Afterlife Of Cook and Moore
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Delight of Dogs and The Problems of People
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
“The Masks of Aphra Behn” and “Oranges & Ink” – A Double Bill!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Waiting For Hamlet – An Audio Play!
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Goodbye: The Afterlife Of Cook and Moore
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Legacy of William Ireland
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Goodbye: The Afterlife Of Cook and Moore
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
By the Light of the Moon
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Two Super Super Hot Men
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
The Delight of Dogs and The Problems of People
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Hansel and Gretel – Opera
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Warn Them Of The Danger
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com
Lullabies for the Lost
Online Fringe Festival, onlinefringefestival.com