Paradise Lost
(lies unopened beside me)

Lost Dog

Information

Times: 7:30pm


Tickets: Pay What You Can (Recommended Price £16)*

*all orders subject to a transaction fee of £2

Running Time: 75 minutes (no interval)


Age Recommendation: 13+


This event takes place in person in our Council Chamber

There is a possibility that God made everything because he was terrified of doing nothing.

10 years on from its first premiere, Lost Dog return to Battersea Arts Centre with their iconic staging of Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost.

Featuring brand-new casting with Olivier award nominee Sharif Afifi (The Band’s Visit), Paradise Lost combines theatre, comedy and movement in a journey through the story of the creation of everything… condensed into 75 minutes.

A single man plays all the characters, creates all the scenes and, despite his best efforts, falls a little short of perfection.

A show for anyone who has created anything (child, garden, paper aeroplane), and then watched it spiral out of control.

 

‘A heavenly new take on Milton’
★★★★★
Evening Standard

‘A triumphant gallop through the story of creation’
★★★★
The Guardian

‘An enchanting, very funny show, swooping from the epic to the vulnerable’
★★★★★ The Independent

Biographies

Lost Dog is an award-winning dance / theatre company based in rural East Sussex, led by Ben Duke.

Lost Dog has built a reputation for creating unexpected interpretations of classic stories that resonate with today’s audiences. In 2022, they created Ruination: The True Story of Medea in co-production with the Royal Ballet, which was presented to sold out houses as an ‘alternative Christmas show’, and then went on to be presented as part of the 2024 Venice Biennale Danza. A Tale of Two Cities premiered at Warwick Arts Centre in February 2022 before touring the UK and internationally

Their most successful show to date – Juliet & Romeo (2018) has been presented over 130 times in 8 countries and 5 different languages. Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) based on Milton’s epic poem, premiered at Battersea Arts Centre in May 2015. In 2020 The Guardian named Paradise Lost one of the best dance shows of the 21st Century. Both Juliet & Romeo and Paradise Lost have toured extensively to village halls across the UK as part of the Rural Touring Dance Initiative.

Credits

Supported by Arts Council England using public funding from the National Lottery with additional support from House Network and The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre.

Originally created in 2015. Co-commissioned by The Place and Battersea Arts Centre, with further commissioning support from The Point, Eastleigh and South East Dance.

 

Written by Ben Duke
Co-Directed by Lucy Morrison and Ben Duke 
Performed by Sharif Afifi
Lighting & Set Design by Jackie Shemesh
Casting Director Arthur Carrington
Artistic Collaborator Raquel Meseguer Zafe
Production Manager David Sherman
Technical Stage Manager Rachel Bowen
Executive Producer Daisy Drury
Producer Emma Evans
Marketing Consultant Beryl Dzambo
BSL Interpreter Clare Edwards

Access

PRE EVENT INFORMATION

This event takes place in person in our Council Chamber. This space is on the first floor, with step-free access via a lift.

If you have booked a ticket you will receive an email from us before your performance detailing important information about your visit.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT/COMPANION TICKETS

If you require the assistance of a friend or helper to attend, we can make a free ticket available for your companion. You can book access companion tickets online or contact the Box Office to book by emailingaccess@bac.org.uk. 

To book a free access companion online:

  • log in to your account here
  • go to ‘Other preferences’ and tick ‘I require a personal assistant/companion’.
  • Choose the performance, date and seats you would like and if you add at least 2 tickets to your basket, then one of these will automatically become free.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

BSL Interpreted Performances:

  • Friday 28th April
  • Friday 4th April

BSL Interprted by Clare Edwards

Content

  • Haze
  • Occassional use of swearing
  • Adult themes

Pre-Show Information

All performances will be Relaxed. We invite you to make yourself comfortable and move around if you need to and if you need to leave the performance at any point you will be allowed to return to the space when you feel ready.

VISIT OUR ACCESS PAGE

We want our shows to be as accessible to as many people as possible.

We offer tickets to most shows on a Pay What You Can basis throughout the year.

Tickets for performances in 2025 start at £9.50, and we have recommended pricing to help you choose a price that works for you.

We know that ticket price is a huge barrier for some. If you can afford to pay the recommended price or more, choosing to do so supports those that can’t. It makes it possible for us to continue to offer Pay What You Can and welcome those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.

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