What do the names Trayvon Martin, Rodney King, Eric Garner, Mark Duggan all sadly have in common? They have all been unjustly killed by an institution that is supposedly meant to protect its citizens. Although media emphasis has been persistent in recent years, this is an injustice that has been suffered by many black males in the US, with cases being reported in the UK also for decades now and this is a very worrying reality.
Contributing tremendously to the swashbuckling adventure narrative we have all become accustomed to, Robert Louis Stevenson‘s much loved classic, Treasure Island has inspired performers and creatives for over a century in emulating a world as unsteady as the seas the characters see themselves sailing on.
At 10:30pm on Saturday 6th August, all of the elements that make Wilderness one of the go to events to go to this summer will culminate to create an extravaganza like no other. A Wilderness festival staple, The Saturday Night Spectacle is unlike any other event that you have witnessed before!
La Fura Dels Baus @ Wilderness 2015 Saturday Night Spectacle
Sitting down at Sadler’s Wells to see Vamos Cuba the expectations keep rising. As I browse through the program I gather there is a storyline and that consequently the show will be so much more than just bouncing and shaking at the sound of Cuban music. The format seems similar to that of a musical, even though the main form of communication will be through dance and the performers will not be the ones singing but rather the singers who join the band.
The ethos of Wilderness is to switch off from the busyness of the outside world and to immerse yourself into a tranquil world of creativity, culture and new ideas. The best part of it is… you are surrounded by the beautiful picturesque views of Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire having left all your cares and worries at home!
Recovering from the breakdown of a relationship isn’t easy, and we usually deal with the effects of heartbreak behind closed doors. For some, an added layer of humiliation sadly taints the process of moving on by having their intimate moments plastered on various revenge porn sites. The fast paced nature of social media and online forums make it impossible to escape from, and this is becoming a sad reality. Award winning writer and performer Charlotte Josephine draws on this topic to create the very timely BLUSH, which will take residency at the Underbelly, Cowgate next month in Edinburgh. Ahead of the festival, Theatrefullstop speaks to Charlotte about performing at this year’s festival, her inspirations for creating BLUSH and the process to creating the piece. Continue reading
In 2015, refugees and migrants fled from various parts of the world including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq to seek asylum in the EU. Titled ‘The Migrant Crisis’, this sad state of affairs dominated the headlines and continues to do so as 1000s of innocents lost their lives in the hopes of escaping hardship and began to open a younger generation’s eyes in the West as to the various atrocities taking place world wide. Brought to light in Tess Berry-Hart‘s Cargo, migration begins to unravel its complex nature.
Describing O! No as a one man show feels misleading, given Jaimie Wood’s collaborative approach to performance art. I’m speaking from experience here: at one point during the performance, I am enlisted as a member of an orchestra, playing a makeshift instrument supposedly symbolising ‘the expansion and contraction of dreams in this world’. At another point, I am told to enact my own death before the audience.
The Gob Squad is a crowd pleasing addition to Latitude’s theatre program. The four person improv troupe become a regular fixture on the festival site; you can see them daily, running half naked through fields wielding nothing but selfie sticks.
Art for Eating is a discreet highlight of the Latitude festival. Tucked away on the Forest Fringe stage, the show is based on a simple conceit; a couple wish to know if it is possible to recreate the best meal they ever had, enjoyed on their honeymoon in China. Two volunteers in the audience are called upon to eat noodles, drink beer and meticulously recreate the movements of a conversation held some years ago.