The Damned (Les Damnés)

Crackling with intensity, this triumphant spectacle directed by Ivo van Hove depicts the disintegration of a society, undone through a venomous alliance, the drama finding unsettling parallels today.

Luchino Visconti’s screenplay is the springboard for a ceaselessly creative production, which follows a family of German industrialists – the corrupt and debauched Essenbeck clan. With echoes of Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, their deepening collusion with the nascent Nazi regime puts them on a perilous path to destruction.

Invited to direct the illustrious troupe of Comédie-Française for the first time, Van Hove and his long-time collaborator Jan Versweyveld populate the Barbican stage with a company of 30 actors and technicians. Archival footage and live recordings projected onto a screen form a counterpoint to the immense and involving action, the roving camera at times turned on audiences. Pulsating sound and arresting visual metaphors heighten the impact of a play that ‘really must be seen, sensed and felt’ (New York Stage Review).

Tagged with: Theatre & dance

This is show is part of the Spotlight on Comédie-Française festival at Institut français

Duration: 2 hours 10 mins, no interval
Age guidance: 16+ (contains adult themes, graphic violence and nudity)

Performed in French with English surtitles

Presented by the Barbican

Produced by Comédie-Française

With the support of the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, including its Trust, the Friends of the French Institute, with particular acknowledgment to the donors Vincent and Florence Gombault, Marc and Odile Mourre, Bernard Oppetit and Olga Jegunova and Ingmar and Sabrina Vallano.

Standard £16-50

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£15

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Concessions & discounts

Students
Students are entitled to half-price tickets in advance for Wednesday evening. Proof of eligibility required on collection.

Schools
£12 per ticket. Call the Groups line on 020 7382 7211 to book.

Access
Visitors with access requirements who have joined our Access Membership scheme may be eligible for reductions on tickets. Call the Box Office on 020 7638 8891. For Minicom facilities, call 07710 854 085.

Groups (10+)
Save 20%. Call the Groups line on 020 7382 7211.

Corporate Discounts
Save 25%. More info

Discounts are not available on lowest price tickets and are subject to availability. Discounts do not apply to associated talks, films or workshops. They cannot be combined to make greater savings.

*Excludes £3 booking fee