Three Welsh theatre productions will be heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (7 - 31 August 2015) to take part in the British Council’s Edinburgh Showcase (24 – 29 August).
The companies were chosen from 250 applications and join 27 other successful companies from across the UK.
The chosen Welsh productions are:
Sherman Cymru’s play ‘Iphigenia in Splott’ by Gary Owen, will be performed in Edinburgh at the King Dome, Pleasance, 24 - 30 August. Owen's funny and moving adaptation of a tragic Greek myth boldly explores social injustice.
Cardiff based director and performer, Jo Fong, will present ‘An Invitation…’, a fascinating performance that blurs the boundaries of dance and ‘takes playfulness very seriously’, at Dance Base, 25 - 26 August
Living Pictures’ production, Diary of a Madman, a new adaptation based on the classic short story by Nikolai Gogol, will travel from Cardiff to perform at Zoo, Venue 124, from 7 – 30 August (except 16 and 23 August).
Jenny Scott, director of British Council Wales, said: “The Showcase is known for giving companies a chance to show their work to an audience of international promoters. It’s an opportunity for some of the UK’s exciting work to be seen by audiences in countries around the world.
“This is a great time for Welsh theatre. There is so much innovative work going on and creative people and organisations from across the UK are looking at Wales with interest, as a country full of ideas and as a great location for work. We’re pleased to have three Welsh companies chosen for the Showcase this year and I’m sure they will capture the imagination of the international visitors.”
The British Council’s biennial Edinburgh Showcase is the single biggest opportunity for UK theatre companies to introduce their work to international promoters. The programme comprises of new work that represents the very best of contemporary theatre and dance, reflecting the breadth and diversity of British performing arts.
Since the British Council’s first Showcase in 1997 the event has given 350 theatre and dance companies the opportunity to tour overseas, building new relationships and opening up new markets for the UK’s performing arts.
Sherman Cymru
Established in 1973, Cardiff-based Sherman Cymru is the leading producing theatre for New Writing in Wales, commissioning plays in both English and Welsh. Collaborating with other major institutions such as National Theatre Wales and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (NTW’s Welsh language equivalent), the company is committed to develop the work of Welsh and Wales-based playwrights and theatre-makers. Alongside an extensive programme of produced and received performance, the theatre maintains a significant outreach and participation programme, generating relevant and inspiring opportunities for the citizens of Cardiff to connect with the theatre.
Jo Fong
Based in Cardiff, Jo Fong is a director, choreographer and performer working in dance, film, theatre and the visual arts. As a dancer, her agility, curiosity and infectiously raw and rebellious spirit underpinned a highly distinguished career with major dance companies including Rosas, Rambert Dance Company, Mark Bruce Company and National Dance Theatre Wales. That ethos and passion carries through to her choreographic and directorial work which remains physical in essence but incorporates voice and text, and is not prejudiced against body type.
Living Pictures
Formed in 1999 by Robert and Elen Bowman, Cardiff-based Living Pictures is effectively an ‘acting lab’ driven by an ongoing desire to find new and engaging ways to develop and perform theatre. Drawing on their immense experience as actors and directors, in careers collectively encompassing employment with some of the UK’s most prominent theatre companies - from Shared Experience, Northern Stage and Sherman Cymru to the Royal Court, National Theatre and RSC - the duo is also committed to the development of other practitioners who share their curiosity about theatrical process: Elen notably being a personal tutor to the likes of Katie Mitchell and Ian Rickson during their time as emerging directorial forces.
For more information contact Alison Cummins at British Council Wales on 029 2092 4334 or Alison.Cummins@britishcouncil.org
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