Gates of the Abode : A season of talks and workshops on death, departure and the unseen at Abney Park. This workshop is part of the Tales of Departure series.

The medium of life drawing theatre is a unique type of interactive storytelling. This performance of sonnets from The Divine Comedy, narrated by Paul McGill, will give attendees the opportunity to create their own storyboard of sketches inspired by the model's pose or by the overall meaning of the poetry and its folkloric analysis.

Among the sonnets performed will be the tale of Odysseus from Canto XXVI, in which Dante and Virgil encounter the great voyager among the Fraudulent Counsellors.

With its Gothic style in a state of picturesque decay, among its overgrown paths and crumbling monuments, few settings could lend themselves better to Dante's descent than Abney Park. Its Egyptian Revival gateway — inscribed with hieroglyphs once translated as "Abode of the Mortal Part of Man" — has long marked the cemetery's entrance as a threshold between the world of the living and the dead.

Models will perform during the reading, holding a fixed pose inspired by each sonnet being recited for 5 to 10 minutes at various intervals. Seated in a semi-circle of chairs around the stage, the audience will create a series of sketches as the model changes poses while the narrator continues to tell the story.

Attendees don't need to be artists or have any prior knowledge of The Divine Comedy — they just listen and watch, then add their own interpretation in pencil.

Equipment will be provided but you are also welcome to bring your own.

Meeting point:
Please meet at the Harriet Delph room, next to the cafe, at the Stoke Newington High Street entrance.
Please arrive 10 - 15 minutes before the start time of 7:00pm.

Access information:
The Harriet Delph room is located next to the Abney Park Cafe.
There is level access at the High Street entrance to Abney Park.
Accessible toilet facilities are available.