Sarah Kane's first full-length play, Blasted, opened at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1995. It became the cause célèbre of the theatrical year, making front-page headlines, selling out houses and outraging critics.

Pi is marking the 20th anniversary of Blasted's first production by bringing Kane's seminal play to life in Vancouver in April 2015. This will be the second professional production of Blasted seen in this country. Twenty years after it first hit the London stage with incendiary force, Blasted now seems more at home in the present than it ever has in the past. Scenes that were thought of as exaggerated to the point of absurdity have taken on an uncomfortable familiarity in the face of contemporary events.

Here's some of the feedback that we've been receiving for #PiBlasted:

"Wolfe’s production is terrific. Drew Facey’s set explodes with detailed realism, Jeff Harrison’s lighting paints the stage with just the right shades of darkness, and Remy Siu’s sound design is spooky, intense and surreal."  - Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Plays

"Twenty years after its premiere the play feels more relevant than ever …" - Peter Dickinson, Performance, Place and Politics

"For its 30th anniversary, Pi Theatre has masterfully resurrected a contemporary classic. Blasted, by English playwright Sarah Kane, is the kind of play that forces all the air out of your body and then screams at you to breathe." - Erika Thorkelson, Vancouver Sun

"I fortified myself with a pre-show glass of wine but that in no way softened the impact of this play." - Gillian Lockitch, Review From the House

"On the whole, though technically breathtaking … much of the impact comes from the raw performances — from Kopsa’s animal ruthlessness and Clarke’s blend of ethereal and earthiness. Raresh Dimofte, with his massive, intimidating frame and baby face that shows all the levels of his character’s tormented and monstrous existence, is astonishing as the nameless soldier." - Erika Thorkelson, Vancouver Sun

“The staging and the effects are terrific. The performances are chillingly, frighteningly real. It is a bleak, bleak vision of the present. It’s Beckett + Pinter + Tarantino and it’s not for every eye or ear." - Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier

"I previewed @pitheatre's Blasted for the @georgiastraight & there's nothing else like it on stage right now." - Andrea Warner (read her preview here)

"It was hard not to applaud the set change." - At #PiBlasted Talk Back

"Thank you @pitheatre for a challenging, though provoking, powerful production of Sarah Kane's Blasted. #PiBlasted" - Michelle Muldoon

"Wow. That was unbelievably intense." - @RandiEdmundson

And a couple of folks who weren't moved by Ms. Kane:

"Michael Kopsa (Ian), Cherise Clark (Cate), and Raresh Dimofte (Soldier) all do decent work. ... The physical stagecraft in Wolfe's production is masterful." - Colin Thomas, Georgia Straight

"Blasted is hardly compelling". Mark Robins

Decide for yourself!

Don't miss out!

Director: Richard Wolfe

Cast: Michael Kopsa, Cherise Clarke, Raresh DiMofte

Costume Designer: Carmen Alatorre
Lighting Designer: Jeff Harrison
Set Designer: Drew Facey
Sounds Designer: Remy Siu
Production Manager: Jayson McLean
Stage Manager: Jethelo E. Cabilete
Apprentice Stage Manager: Chantele Fry

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