The Marlowe Society, (with support from the Judith E Wilson Fund), is absolutely delighted to be giving 80 creative students from Cambridge the chance to experience a weekend of FREE intensive DEVISING and PHYSICALITY workshops with the internationally acclaimed companies Gecko (Friday 15th and) and Punchdrunk Saturday 16th March)!!! This is a brilliant chance for the students who have been selected to learn new, professional techniques to improve their stagecraft.
GECKO WORKSHOP
Friday 15th March
Time: 10:00-13:00 (early group) or 14:00-17:00 (later group)
PUNCHDRUNK WORKSHOP
Saturday 16th March
Time: 10:00-12:30 (early group) or 13:30-16:00 (later group)
To be placed on the waiting list please contact: jwm55@cam.ac.uk
Both workshops will take place in the Judith E Wilson Drama Studio, Faculty of English, 9 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DP
GECKO
About the company:
Founded in 2001, Gecko is an award winning, internationally acclaimed physical theatre company, led by Artistic Director Amit Lahav. With an expanding ensemble of international performers and makers, Gecko creates work through collaboration, experimentation and play. Its work is global. The company tours nationally and internationally, developing strong partnerships around the world. Beyond the stage, Gecko aspires to open the doors on their process via every possible avenue, be it digital, in schools or through one-to-one relationships with their audience.
About the workshop:
What we offer is a Gecko process. So, it really does echo what happens in the process of making a Gecko show. So it will be an intense, physical workshop in which we will talk a lot about commitment and we’ll explore what that means for students to commit a hundred percent to every moment. We will also look at tools for devising – so how students can begin with nothing and create something wonderful. Our workshops open a door – they can unlock something in young people which is to do with confidence, it’s to do with being bold in what they bring to devising. So they will leave, we hope, with an idea that they have lots of choices to start from (in terms of what they’re devising) but also that they have an understanding that they don’t have to rely on words to tell stories, that they can use their breath, they can use their bodies, they can use contact with each other to create material that really says something but without this reliance on words and without sitting down and talking about it – the workshops are very, very active so they’re getting up and they’re doing, doing, doing. And that seems to be a really strong message that comes back; that they enjoy that they do it, and they achieve it, and it’s great. So they will leave with really key skills in how to expand their imaginations and expand their confidence and their skills as performers and as makers.
Website link: http://geckotheatre.com/
Some of their work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbO3YLG7TeM
PUNCHDRUNK
About the company:
Since 2000, Punchdrunk has pioneered a game changing form of theatre in which roaming
audiences experience epic storytelling inside sensory theatrical worlds. Blending classic texts, physical performance, award-winning design installation and unexpected sites, the company’s infectious format rejects the passive obedience usually expected of audiences. Punchdrunk has developed a phenomenal reputation for transformative productions that focus as much on the audience and the performance space as on the performers and narrative. Inspired designers occupy deserted buildings and apply a cinematic level of detail to immerse the audience in the world of the show. This is a unique theatrical experience where the lines between space, performer and spectator are constantly shifting. Audiences are invited to rediscover the childlike excitement and anticipation of exploring the unknown and experience a real sense of adventure. Free to encounter the installed environment in an individual imaginative journey, the choice of what to watch and where to go is theirs alone.
About the workshop:
Join Punchdrunk for a unique insight into our performance practice in this 2 and a 1/2 hour physical performance workshop. Using Punchdrunk’s unique site-sympathetic style, participants will develop their performance skills in response to site, sound and source material. A must for students who want to develop their physical and non-verbal devising skills, while exploring the potential of site-sympathetic theatre. The workshops are led by core Punchdrunk creative associates.
Website link: https://www.punchdrunk.org.uk/
Some of their work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3oCTsfclW4