Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me)

In Paradise Lost dancer and theatre-maker Ben Duke presents a one-man version of the eponymous epic poem by 17th-century English poet John Milton. The poem describes Lucifer's rebellion against God, his banishment to Hell, his appearance as a snake in Paradise, the temptation of Eve, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. After its premiere at the Battersea Arts Centre (London), the performance became a huge hit at the Edinburgh Festival. Paradise Lost is not only a brilliant piece of comic dance theatre, it is also an ode to the clumsy and crushing art of creation. Dancer and theatre-maker Ben Duke studied at the Guildford School of Acting and the London Contemporary Dance School. He subsequently took a degree in English literature at Newcastle University. He and his company Lost Dog work at the interface of text, live music, movement and dance.