Volcano Theatre's Clockwork Orange

In the immortal words of Rolf Harris, can you guess what it is yet? Eh? EH?! Presumably the juxtaposition of a clock and some oranges in the picture above will have made it clear enough that a new production of A Clockwork Orange is coming our way. 

It is Welsh company Volcano that has turned its attentions to Anthony Burgess's inventive, disturbing masterpiece. For director Paul Davies,  the challenge lay in how the story has become a cultural phenomenon that has taken on a life beyond the pages and that is "controversial, contested, and perhaps misunderstood".

Five actors share the role of Alex, rendering his vivid Nadsat slang in contrasting tones ranging from warm Glaswegian through sonorous South-London to husky New York. Icelandic designer Gudny Sigurdar has created a lean set based on modular shelves and islands of speakers, is and lit by old TV-screens, while her costumes are colour-coded uniforms that track the novel's fascination with different kinds of conformity and transgression.

Volcano is an international touring company that has been making original and distinctive theatre productions for more than 25 years from its base in Swansea. Renowned for its pioneering work in physical theatre, Volcano makes work of many different kinds and styles – adaptations of classics; original devised pieces; new plays; adventures in old buildings.

They say: "Whatever form it takes it is always an unashamed assault on blandness, mediocrity and decorum, and an antidote to boring theatre. Volcano makes energetic, beautiful, funny, provocative, thoughtful, dissenting, intelligent theatre, for people who prefer to make up their own minds."

A Clockwork Orange is on at the Unity on Friday and Saturday November 17 and 18.