Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation

The Studio, Festival Theatre Edinburgh; Royal Court Theatre, London; Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton; Teatro do Bairro Alto, Lisbon

August - November 2019

A hand opens a large hardback book. The cover is white with bold black text reading 'Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation;

Overview

Jesus didn’t die so we could be reborn, lady, the stars did. The stars

The writer leads his followers towards the end of this world and the start of a new one. The book he’s written predicts it all - the equations, the black hole, all the words we’ll speak till then.

On this last day, at this last hour, a defector finds her voice and returns.

Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation is a new play by Tim Crouch (Adler & Gibb, The Author, An Oak Tree, Beginners). It tells the story of a man who, compensating for his own failure, manipulates a group of people to sit in a place together and believe in something that isn’t true.

The play is presented through the parallel worlds of stage action and illustrated text. Audience and actors turn the pages together. They study the images together. Sometimes - with agreement - they share the words.

A National Theatre of Scotland production in association with the Royal Court Theatre, Teatro do Bairro Alto, Lisbon and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA).

Co-commissioned with Royal Court Theatre.

Part of the British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2019

Cast

Creative team

Explore

  • Shyvonne Ahmmad and Susan Vidler face each other, both holding a book. Shyvonne Ahmmad is seen from the back, in the foreground, and Susan Vidler is pointing in her direction. Some audience members are visible in the foreground.
  • The photograph is taken from above, and looks down on a circle made off of two rows of chairs, with the stage in the enclosed circle. Shyvonne Ahmmad is seen lying down on the floor wearing orange, holding a book with a green cover. Susan Vidler is seen standing up holding a book on the left. Audience members are sat on chairs.
  • The photograph is taken from above, and looks down on a circle made off of two rows of chairs, with the stage in the enclosed circle. Tim Crouch is seen standing up in the centre of the stage, two chairs each side of him. Audience members are sat on chairs.
  • An audience member is visible from the book, from the back. There are several other audience members in the back. Tim Crouch stands on stage with two chairs on the left hand side of the image.
  • An audience member holds the book open, the page has text and drawing by Rachana Jadhav.
  • Shyvonne Ahmmad and Susan Vidler face each other, both holding a book.

Videos

  • Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial
  • Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial
  • BSL introduction | Total Immediate Collective