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Would you cut the rope? The new play revisiting a classic dilemma

1 February 2019

Touching the Void is the real-life survival story of mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, whose dramatic descent from a climb in Peru became the subject of a million-selling book and, in 2003, .

The story has now become the subject of play in Edinburgh.

Actors Josh Williams (Joe) and Edward Hayter (Simon) spoke to Janice Forsyth on The Afternoon Show about the importance of translating this extraordinary real-life story for a theatre audience.

Touching The Void

Janice speaks to cast members from the new Lyceum production based on Joe Simpson鈥檚 memoir

In 1985, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates reached the summit of Siula Grande. On their way down, Joe fell and broke his leg, which left Simon the job of attempting to lower his companion down the mountain to safety.

Climbers are saying the stage adaptation is incredibly powerful.
Janice Forsyth

At a crucial moment during the perilous rescue, however, Simon was forced to make an almost impossible choice: cut the rope connecting the two climbers or risk them both losing their lives on the mountain.

He chose the former and Joe plummeted down into a crevasse. Simon made his way down the mountain assuming Joe had died.

But against all odds, not only did Joe survive the fall but, over four agonising days, he managed crawl back to base camp where he reunited with Simon.

Joe wrote his book partly to exonerate Simon, whom they both felt had no real choice but to save himself.

Josh Williams as Joe in Touching The Void | Photo by Geraint Lewis

The social media reaction

Did the team at the Lyceum theatre succeed in bringing to the stage an extraordinary story set at 6000m and in -20°C avalanche conditions?

Theatre-goers took to social media, calling the production “remarkable” and “gripping”. Some were “still reeling” from an experience one described as “”.

What did the REAL Simon Yates think?

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