Mihbaj: A traditional Bedouin implement made of a wooden base with a footlong pestle that serves both as a coffee grinder and as a percussion instrument. A tool once emblematic of a once unified, once proud and once beautiful Syria, Riad Ismat‘s topical production gives a voice to the unheard who find themselves right in the middle a conflict that over the last few years has seemed to only escalate and dominates the Western media.
Setting itself apart as 1 of the UKs most distinctive festivals, Bestival returns this September from the 8th until the 11th to bring its revellers an eclectic world of music, theatre, food, experiences and it’s very own Spaceport!
Starring Coronation Street alumni Dario Coates, Leon Fleming’s Sid; named after the infamous Sid Vicious of Sex Pistols fame promises to embody the spirit of the iconic Punk movement. The play’s protagonist, Craig aspires to fight against a capitalist, mundane, unequal world, with the help of his hero Sid Vicious a figure of unconventional empowerment.
Commissioned especially for this year’s Wilderness Festival, C12 Dance Theatre present a somewhat mystical 45minute dance piece that leaves the audience asking questions throughout and after the show’s conclusion. A female dancer, still in composure attracts the attention of the audience, mannequin-like, she takes over the central doorway. Dressed in a red turtle neck, a long black skirt and adorned with a never ending piece of rope, she gives off the appearance of a Russian doll evoking intrigue.
A night of high energy, excitement and all around extravagance at the newly refurbished York Theatre Royal! Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles, directed by the well-known Damien Cruden, is a bizarre twist of song, dance and slapstick humour merged with a mysterious and popular drama that many an audience will enjoy. Enter the bold and bright interior of the theatre, with its new contemporary edge and prepare yourself for a mystery that baffles one’s mind and senses from start to finish.
Theatre serves many purposes, but for the award winning theatre company, Not Too Tame it’s a case of theatre being for all. It’s fair to say that theatre in comparison to film and television is a medium that still has an aura of being for a certain type of individual, and is presented in the typical proscenium arched manner. Not Too Tame aims to shatter this perception, especially in the case of their latest piece, Electric Eden, which sees the company guide their audience through a disused building. Ahead of the production, the company’s founder, Jimmy Fairhurst speaks to us about creating “theatre for all”, challenges to creating a site specific piece and how the company goes about creating new pieces of work.
The National Centre for Circus Arts is vastly becoming the hub for the most exciting talent within Europe, especially within the UK, having produced a range of acts that have gone on to add their stamp onto a genre that could otherwise be thought of as an ancient art. National Centre for Circus Arts alumni, Silver Lining are at the beginnings of adding their own voice to the circus landscape, having been described as “some of the freshest acts in Britain”. Silver Lining’s founder, Tom Ball speaks to us about the company’s latest piece, Throwback which will be showing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Hi Tom, Silver Lining will be showcasing Throwback at this year’s Edinburgh Festival. How are you feeling ahead of the festival?
Founded in 2007, Theatre Témoin have created stand out pieces designed to address topics and ideas that may not have much of a spotlight placed on them. Physical Theatre fused with a powerful narrative leaves you with a theatrical experience not to be forgotten. Theatre Temoin’s Artistic Director Ailin Conant is renowned for her social engagement in terms of the projects she works on, working with voices that are often marginalised or forgotten about and it’s clear that this is an element that defines the company’s vision. Ahead of Theatre Témoin’s run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival of their latest piece The Marked, Ailin spoke to us about the creation of the piece, her inspirations and who she’ll be watching at this year’s festival. Continue reading
On a slightly grizzly Saturday afternoon, I venture once more to the Underbelly Circus Hub to see the new and award-winning show Perhaps Hope by company Here and Now. The production focuses on climate change and the problems we face now and in the future with rising water levels and global warming – something the two performers, Rockie Stone (Circa) and Vincent van Berkel (Circus Oz), are clearly passionate about. The pair lift, balance, tumble and manipulate through an hour of fluid and beautiful acrobatics to a soundtrack of eclectic music.
The Inevitable Heartbreak of Gavin Plimsole is a contemporary piece of theatre in which the story revolves around a young man who is given a life changing diagnosis, making him contemplate everything and re-evaluate the choices and decisions he has made.
