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ROHTKO

Łukasz Twarkowski /Anka Herbut / Dailes Theatre

Trailblazing director Łukasz Twarkowski fuses theatre, tech and live cinema to create a monumentally spectacular production that explores art and authenticity in a fast-changing world.

One of the biggest scandals in the art world lies at the heart of this ground-breaking production. In 2004, a couple bought a painting by Mark Rothko for $8.3 million. Years later, it turns out to be not by Rothko himself, but by a Chinese maths teacher from Queens who also forged works by Jackson Pollock. Can a fake painting evoke real feelings? What is real art and what is it worth? 

With pumping techno beats, two huge video screens and stunning set design, the creators of ROHTKO search for answers, with philosopher Byung-Chul Han's book Shanzhai: Deconstruction in Chinese on the value of real and fake. 

Following his sold-out production The Employees at Southbank Centre, this stunning UK premiere is brought to life by Dailes Theatre (Latvia) in collaboration with Twarkowski's close creative team and actors from Latvia, Poland and China.

Running time: 3 hours and 55 minutes, including a 25-minute interval

Age guidance: 14+

The show is performed in Latvian, English, Chinese and Polish with English surtitles.

This production contains smoking, loud and occasionally sudden music, haze, strobe lighting and flashing lights.

 

Presented by the Barbican.

ROHTKO was first premiered on 12th March 2022 at Dailes Theatre, Riga, Latvia.

Production Dailes Theatre, Riga - Latvia In co-production with JK Opole Theatre - Poland and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute

Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.

 

Photography: Artūrs Pavlovs

Premier, Principal and Director’s Circle Patrons get the opportunity to access tickets for sold-out shows.

Members and Members Plus enjoy 20% off ticket prices for this show.

No booking fee. Subject to availability.  

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Corporate Members enjoy discounted ticket prices for this show.

2 tickets max per booking. Subject to availability. 

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£18

Aged 14–25? Join Young Barbican for free. 

Subject to availability 

Wheelchair spaces and free companion seats may now be booked online. 

Please select the relevant preferences on the access registration page during your booking so we can provide you with the correct information and discounts.

Booking a wheelchair space: Select a seat displaying the wheelchair user icon and then select wheelchair user ticket type. The ticket will be priced at the lowest price for that event. If you need an essential companion, please select the E icon next to the wheelchair space you have selected. 

Booking essential companion tickets: Please select at least two tickets and one of them will be automatically discounted to zero in the basket. 

Booking British Sign Language or Captioned Seats: Select seats in the area appropriate to your needs.

Groups   
Groups can book at a 20% discount, subject to availability. Contact [email protected] to make a group booking.   

Schools  
£12*, subject to availability.

Under 16’s
Save 50%, subject to availability.

*If you are a teacher or group leader planning a trip, you can receive up to £300 towards the cost of a visit to a wide variety of inspiring venues managed by the City of London Corporation. Find out more.

*Excludes £4 booking fee

ROTHKO, ROTKHO or ROHTKO?

Spelling mistake or intentional statement? The misspellings ROHTKO and ROTKHO play into the production’s central theme: the relationship between the fake and the original, and how famous brands are often imitated with counterfeit names such as Adibas or Dolce & Banana. It draws on Graham Rawlinson’s hypothesis — known as the typoglycaemia effect — which suggests that the human brain can still read text as long as the first and last letters of each word remain in place. So, what do you think: is a ROTKHO or a ROHTKO really any different — or less valuable — than a ROTHKO?

Reviews

‘Such a profusion of everything (colours, sounds, images, dialogue)... One is swept up in the whirlwind that unfolds.‘
Joëlle Gayot, Le Monde (France)
‘Łukasz Twarkowski questions the value of authenticity in art with a spectacular production, rich in visual and sound illusions.‘
Anne Diatkine, Libération (France)
‘A total work of theatre within a grand multimedia setup, exploring the art market and the value of art through the lens of capitalism and digital works.‘
Callysta Croizer, Les Echos (France)
‘ Rohtko is a powerful, unsettling production that compels us to rethink our relationship with art.‘
Marie-José Sirach, L’Humanité (France)

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