FAMISHED
Building on the artistic process of our last indoor show, ‘The Hogwallops’, we aim for FAMISHED to maintain our fun, light-hearted approach, but to push our artistic work to the next level (and a 16yrs + audience) with a strong engagement to theme, darker humour and new flavours of engaging performance. This current production is a work in progress. Our first ideas were to explore our relationship with food, emotion and the hunger for more. We decided to work with Director Peta Lily, whose unique and intriguing Dark Clown work struck a resonance with us. In our most recent brief and intense period of work, FAMISHED has developed a new direction.
FAMISHED is about Human need.
WELCOME! THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING. ALL WILL BE REVEALED.
The audience are welcomed as if to a cult seminar and handed a leaflet with a mysterious message….
We have created a world where a Poor Theatre aesthetic is mixed with ‘high concept’ (as they say in Cinema): Slave Clowns are forced to animate the seminar presentation led by the voice of an evangelistic, automated Controller, who represents some faceless Organisation, purporting to present humanity with a solution to the world of need.
Playfully leaning on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we explore human hunger on a rich spectrum. Alongside comedic depictions of hunger and inequality, the poetry and transcendence of Circus and original music evoke our needs of fulfilment, achievement and meaning. Meanwhile the predicament of Slave Clowns keeps the audience aware of humanity’s struggles against oppression and the desperation and fear of those whose very survival is at stake.
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Working with us to realise this new stage of production is Devisor / Director Peta Lily, Designer Andie Scott, Musical Composer Peter Reynolds, Movement Director Leonie McDonagh and Lighting Designer Antony Hateley.
Peta Lily – Peta Lily is an award-winning performer/theater maker well-known for her solo performance career with well-reviewed shows.She has toured the UK, Europe, Mexico, Indonesia, Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Australia and Brazil. As a director, works include the award-winning Je Regrette for Sarah-Louise Young; A Touch of Mrs Robinson for Fiona Coffey; Hamlet or Die and The Death of Fun – both for the Hong Kong Fringe.
Lily has pioneered practical research in Dark Clown. This new clown genre is cited in Jon Davison’s Clown (Readings in Theatre Practice) – Palgrave MacMillan 2013. A documentary: ‘Peta Lily’s Dark Clown; Taking Laughter to the Limits’, made by the remarkable photographer and documentary filmmaker Robert Golden.
Andie Scott – Andie Scott has worked as a set and costume designer for many years on acclaimed shows including ‘From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads’ written and directed by Adrian Berry touring 2016 – 18. Currently designed and fabricated set and costume for ‘Mary’s Hand‘, a touring Opera and an opera in development for King You’s Folly written and composted by Malcom Bruce to be performed at Sadlers Wells 201 Designs for circus include shows devised and directed by Peta Lily for NCCA and Ed fringe, Beautiful Mess, Elusive Circus and various individual artists and corporate shows for Sorcha Productions’.
She has just gained an MA distinction in Costume Design for Performance at the London College of Fashion this year.
Leonie McDonagh – Leonie studied dance at Middlesex University, Sallynoggin College, Dublin and London Contemporary Dance School. She is founding member and director of ‘ponydance’, with a focus on marrying comedy and dance theatre, they have toured internationally and won several awards. In 2014 she was choreographer in residence at the American Dance Festival and was an associate artist at the MAC. Leonie works as a facilitator for community projects in dance, movement and as a freelance choreographer and performer.
Antony Hately – Antony is a Lighting designer working primarily within the dance industry. Now based in London he trained in fine art at University of Central England and his work has featured both nationally and internationally.