OYSTER CREATIVES
 

AVALANCHE, the latest play by Neil Salvage, is a potent and darkly funny cautionary tale that resonates with our own climate change challenges.

 Set in the small 19th century Alpine town of Fertigwelt (World’s End), this allegorical farce, a fusion of drama and music, portrays certain corrupt community speculators and politicians and their inept struggle to survive the huge threat to their town, brought about by their own dangerous greed.

Professor Kirsten Opalla, our humane, mischievous, witty heroine, an expert on natural disasters,  brings a grave warning to the town. This is dismissed by wealthy mayor Burgomeister Wilhelm Reinhardt, who obfuscates and denies the existence of the threat at every turn.

Monstrous Frau von Metzler,  wallowing in her vast wealth and influence, tries to escape the consequences of financial loss by  effectively putting every man, woman and child at grave risk - fleeing the town while putting pressure on the Town Councillors to keep the threat  a secret.

Only financial broker Ulrich Wohler eventually  finds the strength to finally emerge from his maniacal profit-and-loss obsession, as he  begins to understand the danger and tries to act before it is too late.

Meanwhile Professor Opalla confronts the slippery Burgomeister, in a series of farcical incidents involving trunks, suitcases and a wardrobe with a mind of its own . All the while, the threat of oblivion looms ever larger.

Will our disparate ensemble of fools, villains and heroes overcome this perilous menace?

This piece aims to develop and take further our company aim of fusing theatre and music as a strong narrative form. Using a combination of rich characterization and an ensemble of live musicians led by two violinists, representing and commenting on the story’s crescendo of peril, they encompass styles from contemporary classical to Latin Jazz and beyond. Oyster Creatives aim to concentrate their unique style of theatre in a play that has resonances with issues we are facing today.