Touching The Void

Highlights

• Witness the dramatic tale of mountaineer Joe Simpson - a nearly fatal trip through the Peruvian Andes.

What is the “Touching the Void play” about?

Touching the Void is originally a book written by the English mountaineer Joe Simpson. In 1985, he attempted a mountain climb where he suffered serious injuries and fell into a crevasse which could have been the last of him. Fortunately, he made it through and crawled his way back to the base camp. He narrates the trauma in his book, which has been translated into twenty languages and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Fifteen years later, in 2003, the book was turned into a documentary; it won the Best British Film BAFTA award in the same year. Scottish playwright and theatre director David Greig adapted the book into Touching the Void play, and it vividly displays the distressing situation faced by the two climbers.

Greig’s story-telling improves the already captivating act

David Greig is one of the best when it comes to flawless writing and his eye for detail is unmatched. He turned the book into an engrossing play that keeps the audiences on the edge of their seats. He unbelievably finds humour in such a scary situation and puts them in the play so seamlessly that you will be right at the scene of the near-fatal climb. The show’s set design and lighting are acclaimed for the ability to portray the horrors of mountaineering accurately. If you are familiar with the Bristol Old Vic theatre company, you might know Tom Morris, their Artistic Director. He directs the Touching the Void play, adding uniqueness to its style and creating a morbid atmosphere that builds more than enough tension for you to stop breathing at different points throughout the show.

Know what you will see and yet be amazed when you see

Two climbers Simon Yates and Joe Simpson manage to successfully scale the Siula Grande summit in the Peruvian Andes. They climb the mountain’s West Face that nobody had ascended before. Triumphant moments, yes! As they start their descent, Joe slips from a cliff, landing unprepared and breaking a leg. Firstly, their climb was already delayed for bad weather, and they have run out of fuel to melt ice for water. To top that, daylight is fading fast and worse, the bad weather is growing uglier.

The duo still needs to climb down to the glacier around 3,000 feet below. They agree upon combining two 150-foot ropes to form a 300-foot long rope; it would help lower Joe down the North Ridge. Unfortunate more, the big knot won’t pass through the belay plate and the storm is getting furious. With the pair unable to hear each other, Simon has a desperate choice to make.

Hang on with Joe and Simpson as they attempt to withstand and survive this painful and dangerous scenario. Will they both be able to overcome the troubles that stand on their way down? Or, will the mental and physical stress be too much for them? Find out as you watch Touching the Void play the story right in front of you.

Additional

• Show Information

  Author
  Joe Simpson

  Directed by
  Tom Norris

  Choreographed by
  Sasha Milavic Davies

  Songs by
  Jon Nicholls

  Design by
  Ti Green

• Performance Times

  Monday – Saturday: 7:30 PM
  Wednesday and Satuday: 3:00 PM

• Getting your tickets

  You will receive email confirmation shortly after booking. Please display your tickets on your mobile device along with valid photo ID.

• Theatre Information

  The theatre has a seating capacity of 640. It has an in-house bar.

• Cancellation Policy

  Tickets cannot be cancelled, amended or rescheduled.