Olivier Award-nominated performer Sharif Afifi stars in Lost Dog’s revival of Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me), a critically acclaimed solo reworking of John Milton’s 17th-century epic.
Returning to Battersea Arts Centre a decade after its premiere, this darkly witty production interrogates creation, control, and the chaos of bringing ideas to life. Co-directed by Lost Dog’s Ben Duke and Lucy Morrison (Associate Director to the Royal Court), the show merges sharp observational humor with Afifi’s dynamic physicality, tracing God’s existential spiral as creation unravels.
Catch Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) at Battersea Arts Centre from March 18-April 5. Tickets are available at bac.org.uk.
You’re starring in Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) at Battersea Arts Centre – what can you tell us about the show?
The show is a one person staging of Milton’s ‘PARADISE LOST’ which incorporates dance and theatre and maybe doesn’t quite go according to plan! This man – played by me – sets out to tell a story and is met by some unexpected moments that are a little bit too close to home. It is a beautiful, funny and surprising ride.
How does this solo reimagining of Milton’s epic poem explore the tension between creation and surrender?
A great question! ‘Paradise Lost’ is a retelling/exploration/expansion of THE creation story and in trying to tell this story and seeing the parallel struggles in his own life, we see in the show how creation never plays out as we imagined and it will always run its own course. Surrender is the only way to survive it. Honestly that is my own daily journey performing this show too!
What appealed to you about stepping into Ben Duke’s original role, and how have you made the character your own?
When I came to the show, it was presented to me as a play. The character was one that I had to get into the psyche of. Occasionally daunting having that “character” sat in the corner of the room with me but I was given full freedom to explore it in the way that felt most honest for me.
There were moments I almost wished I’d been told more about how it had been performed before because the struggle was VERY real, but the pay off is that it really feels entirely my own. The two of us are very different people and so it was really fun to take on this very personal piece and find myself in it. Lucy Morrison, our co-director, was a great champion for this and was an amazing bridge between me and Ben.
The show blends dance, text, and humour – how do these elements work together to tackle such a monumental story?
I was sceptical about how the different mediums would come together in a cohesive way but the character is a contemporary dancer and so it’s a language that comes naturally to him. Those moments in the show are him truly expressing himself in a way he can’t with his words. Movement is how most of us express ourselves in life and so actually I think these moments in the show make a lot of sense, especially because of how monumental this story is. When you’re creating the world, you have to throw every you’ve got at it.
As a performer with a dance background, how does physicality shape your portrayal of this one-man narrative?
There is a lot of ground to cover in the show and a few big characters you may or may not recognise and it’s just little (or big) old me so all I’ve got is my physicality. I originally went to vocational dance school as a child and so it was the first art form I learnt to express myself through. In that respect the show has provided a full circle moment whereby I integrate this thing I learnt so early in my life with my current professional life as an actor. It has made me deeply appreciate that training and reminded me how powerful it is to just let your body do the talking. Honestly, it has made me fall in love with dancing again.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me)?
Firstly, don’t think. Just BOOK! If you enjoy theatre that celebrates telling a story in a very creative way with very litte to do it with, this show is for you. It is so human and entertaining and I think deeply relatable if you’ve ever tried to make anything in your life. All the struggle and the failure and the joy. It might just make you feel a little bit better about it. So come to BAC and watch me run around the stage for 75mins making something out of nothing.
