Last Resort at Waterside Arts

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Book now

Last Resort

Waterside, Manchester
20 April 2018

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The Last Resort by 2Magpies Theatre Company
2Magpies Theatre Company
Book now

This completely immersive performance, commissioned by The Lowry, asks the audience to become holidaymakers in Guantanamo Bay.

As each audience member arrives they are handed a Cuba Libre cocktail to sip on and encouraged to relax in their very own beach deckchair. The ‘tour guides’ from 2Magpies Theatre will ask spectators to take off their shoes and feel the sand underneath their feet. This really is a multi-sensory night at the theatre, Last Resort is a work of menacing fiction inspired by entirely unimaginable fact.

The Last Resort offers an alternative future for Guantanamo Bay – no longer a US military base, but a luxury spa resort where the reps are not all they appear to be and the leisure facilities convey an alarming resemblance to enhanced interrogation techniques.

Drinking games begin to blur into waterboarding. Popular music abruptly snaps into unbearable white noise. Seemingly serene pilates classes become tests of endurance.

This is a two-hander from Tom Barnes and Eve Parmiter and both artists work tirelessly throughout the 60-minute duration to pull a veil of serenity over the terrors in Guantanamo Bay. Impressively Last Resort was developed through a research process that brought together artists, academics and human rights organisations. Both performers share impressive credentials in relation to human rights and international relations –  and it is this expertise and skill which harnesses the show.

No amount of distractions can disguise the goings-on at the edge of a sun-drenched island. At a time when everyone is talking about Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror television series – Last Resort offers a live performance which generates the same uncomfortable feelings. Question your perception of what is right.

What's on at Waterside

Where to go near Last Resort at Waterside Arts

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

Manchester
Park
Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

Manchester
Park
Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

Sale
Restaurant
Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

shop
Stretford
Shopping Centre
Stretford Mall

Stretford Mall has undergone a major transformation, turning a 60s shopping centre into a vibrant, community-led town centre. Led by Trafford Council and Bruntwood Works.

longford park ben williams
Manchester
Park
Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

Manchester
Park
Wythenshawe Park

With a 17th Century hall set in 109 acres of open parkland, Wythenshawe Park makes a super day out for all ages. Explore the historic woodlands, lush grasslands and meadows; take a stroll around the many themed gardens and check out the sports and leisure facilities on offer.

Beech Road, Chorlton
Bar or Pub
97 Chorlton

97 is a smart new cocktail bar from the team behind Tariff & Dale and The Lead Station, based on Beech Road in Chorlton.

What's on: Theatre

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.