The Waste Land
Looking Into the Heart of Light
The Waste Land
by T S Eliot
Q Extra at the Questors Studio, Ealing, 27thApril
Review by Polly Davies
With the world in its current state or turmoil it is important to step out of the constant news cycle now and again. Maybe this is why this workshop needed overflow seating as the audience flowed in and quickly filled the seats in the small Studio at the Questors. Or maybe many in the audience had, like me, studied and loved this enigmatic poem when young and welcomed the chance to renew their acquaintance with it. In either case it worked.
The intimacy of the Studio space was ideal and Guy Smith’s thoughtful introduction set out the context — Eliot’s personal turmoil, the failure of his marriage, the environment of the country post-World War One and the influence of Ezra Pound on his work.
The idea to use four different voices for the dramatisation was inspired. It perfectly matched the enigmatic dream-like shifts in the text. The performance by Nick Barth, David Erdos, Wendy Megeney and Stella Robinson was mesmerising. Their emotional interpretation, use of gestures and characterisation illuminated the text, and led to a lively and educational discussion later with Prof Mark Ford, led by David Erdos.
Polly Davies, April 2026
Photography by Valerie Kastoll
Mark Aspen 