See the best new theatre from some of the most exciting new companies in Live Lab Elevator festival at Newcastle’s Live Theatre
Live Lab Elevator Festival
Newcastle Live Theatre
Tuesday 21st - Saturday 25th February 2017
Live Lab Elevator, Live Theatre’s annual festival showcasing the best new theatre from the North East and beyond, returns for its second year between Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 February 2017.
Audiences are being invited to see young companies present brand new plays in their exciting early stages of development as well as the opportunity to attend talks and workshops by some of the UK’s leading writers and directors as they share their experiences of making new theatre.
Graeme Thompson, Creative Producer at Live Theatre said: “Live Lab Elevator is a chance to see new plays and extracts of work from companies that Live Theatre are supporting as we believe they have exceptional talent. We are also delighted to welcome Vinny Patel, writer of True Brits (Bush Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Murdered by My Father (BBC3 and BBC1), as he takes part in a discussion about how to theatrically capture political debate on stage. Soho Theatre’s Artistic Director Steve Marmion will also be sharing his approach to directing plays and presenting new work in a special Director’s Masterclass.”
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| Parklife written by Mhairi Ledgerwood and directed by Melanie Rashbrooke presented by The Six Twenty as part of a double bill at Live Theatre's annual Live Lab Elevator festival |
OnWednesday 22 and Friday 24 February at 7.30pm theatre goers will travel into the future in a double bill of two new hour-long plays. ParkLife, written by Mhairi Ledgerwood, directed by Melanie Rashbrooke and presented by The Six Twenty, follows Victoria who now lives on a ‘21stCentury Noah’s Ark’ whilst Earth is under water. Sex with Robots and Other Devices, a new play by Nessah Muthy (Gastronauts, Royal Court Theatre), explores the normality of using advanced technology in our day to day love lives, and the moral implications that come with being able to buy whatever you desire the most. This play has been specifically developed for this year’s Live Lab Elevator festival by Live Lab 2016 bursary winner Cloakroom Theatre.
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| Sex With Robots And Other Devices written by Nessah Muthy and presented by Cloakroom Theatre as part of a double bill at Live Theatre's annual Live Lab Elevator festival |
Melanie Rashbrooke, Director at The Six Twenty said: “We’re really excited to work on a new hour long version of ParkLife for Live Lab Elevator festival and to bring it back to Live Theatre where it began as a ten-minute short play in 2014 as part of 10 Minutes to… Save the World. Live Lab Elevator gives us a chance to hear what people think at an early stage and help us shape the plays future development.”
Helen Matravers, Co-Producer at Cloakroom Theatre said: “Cloakroom Theatre have been presented with an invaluable opportunity through winning the Live Lab 2016 bursary, where we received £2000 as well as space and support to develop new work. We are delighted and incredibly excited to be presenting our work in the North East for the first time.”
Short extracts of four new plays will be shown for the first time in Work-In Progress on Thursday 23 February at 7.30pm. Scrambled by 2016 Live Lab Associate Artists Plane Paper Theatre, follows two sisters as they embark on an emotional and physical journey together that they had never imagined. In Preservationby Louise Taylor, a graduate of Live Theatre’s Introduction to Playwriting course, we join Polly on New Year’s Eve in a high-rise flat as she is searching for a ghost she hopes will bring her family together. Unlabelled Political Project is writer Luca Rutherford’s latest initiative about politics following on from her acclaimed first solo show Learning How To Die. One more short extract is still to be added to the line-up.
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| Blackout presented by fanSHEN as part of Live Theatre's annual Live Lab Elevator festival |
On Saturday 25 February at 4pm and 6pmaudiences of just 12 people are being invited to embark on a sensory adventure in complete darkness in Blackout presented by last year’s Live Lab Bursary winners, fanSHEN (Lists for the End of Time). Blackout explores what happens when you escape from bland certainty of sight, and promises to be an outing into the unexpected. fanSHEN will also be leading a workshop exploring the process of making sensory theatre on Thursday 23 February at 2pm.
Rachel Briscoe, Creative Director, fanSHEN said: “Blackout is an experience that takes place in total darkness. But it’s not about not being able to see, it’s more about the things you notice when you can’t see - the way your senses heighten, and time does funny things. It's also about how you can pay more attention to things when you’re not distracted by sight - how often do you spend time with yourself, without distracting yourself with your phone, for example? We hope it’ll be a space for reflection - people often think immersive theatre has to be lots of running around but this isn’t like that.”
“We’re thrilled to be part of Live Lab Elevator again. Winning the Live Lab Bursary last year helped us make a show we’re now very proud of but also more importantly, as newcomers to the region, gave us a home. Presenting our work to audiences, next to other exciting companies, really helped us develop what we were trying to do - that’s what every artist needs!”
Tickets:
Tickets for Live Lab Elevator festival events cost between £5 and £8, with some events free. To book tickets and to find out more contact Live Theatre’s box office on (0191) 232 1232 or visit www.live.org.uk/elevator
Listings
Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 February
Live Lab Elevator festival
Live Lab Elevator is an annual festival showcasing the best new theatre from the North East and beyond. Specially curated from the Live Lab programme, brand new theatre productions are put centre stage alongside participatory events including workshops and discussions. Be the first to see emerging new work at the earliest stages of its development, help shape its future and join in conversations with leading theatre-makers from across the UK.
Live Lab Elevator is an annual festival showcasing the best new theatre from the North East and beyond. Specially curated from the Live Lab programme, brand new theatre productions are put centre stage alongside participatory events including workshops and discussions. Be the first to see emerging new work at the earliest stages of its development, help shape its future and join in conversations with leading theatre-makers from across the UK.
Tuesday 21 February 7.30PM
Writing Political Theatre
Panel Discussion
Britain has a rich tradition of political playwriting. An industry panel hosted by Live Theatre’s Literary Manager Gez Casey discusses how to theatrically capture political debate in a chaotic, media driven, post-truth 21stcentury. Gez is joined by Vinny Patel, writer of True Brits (Bush Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Murdered by My Father (BBC3 and BBC1), Max Roberts, Artistic Director at Live Theatre and Lindsay Rodden, Writer in Residence at Live Theatre. Followed by a Q&A session.
LOCATION: Theatre
DURATION: Approx. 1hr 20mins
SUITABILITY: 14+
COST: FREE, booking essential
Live Lab Elevator Double Bill
Wednesday 22 & Friday 24 February, 7.30pm
Parklife
Presented by The Six Twenty
Written by Mhairi Ledgerwood
Directed by Melanie Rashbrooke
With the Earth under water, Victoria now lives on a ‘21st Century Noah’s Ark’. She must adapt to a new life, while still being haunted by memories of the old one. A play that examines the choices we make, and what we must do in order to survive. This play began as
short play in 10 Minutes To… in 2014, and has been supported through Live Lab to be developed into to an hour long piece.
Sex With Robots and Other Devices
Presented by Cloakroom Theatre
Written by Nessah Muthy
It’s 2018. Except, it feels like 2050, or a different planet. Trust us, it’s definitely 2018.
Your neighbours can’t have children, so they buy them. Your dad is lonely (and let’s face it, horny) so he sources some pretty interesting company. Your best friend has started dating someone you’ve never met, and never will.
Sex with Robots is the new play by Nessah Muthy (Gastronauts, Royal Court Theatre) which explores the normality of using advanced technology in our day to-day love lives, and the moral implications that come with being able to buy whatever you desire the most.
LOCATION: Theatre
DURATION: Approx. 2hrs 20mins, incl. interval
SUITABILITY:14+
TICKETS: £8, £6 concs
Thursday 23 February 2pm
Devised Theatre Workshop
Ahead of their performance of Blackout, fanSHEN explore the process of creating sensory theatre. Whether you are a theatre professional or budding theatre maker this workshop provides a fascinating insight into the creation of new performance work and the practice of this innovative theatre company.
LOCATION: Studio
DURATION: Approx. 2hrs
SUITABILITY: 14+
COST: Free, booking essential
Thursday 23 February 7.30pm
Work-In-Progress
An evening of work-in progress performances in which extracts of larger pieces will be performed with a view to how they will be shaped in the future. These include:
Scrambled by Plane Paper Theatre, current Live Lab Associate Artists, which explores the emotional impact of assisted reproductive technology, motherhood and the psychological effects of infertility. When Beth is unable to conceive, she turns to her sister for help and to donate one of her own eggs.
The sisters embark on an emotional and physical journey together that they had never imagined. A visceral and darkly comic investigation of the lengths some women will go to
have children.
Louise Taylor, a graduate of Live Theatre’s Introduction to Playwriting course who has also previously written two plays for 10 Minutes to…, presents Preservation. Its New Year’s Eve in a high-rise flat. Polly is searching for a ghost she hopes will bring her family together.
Following on from her acclaimed first solo show Learning How To DieLuca Rutherford shares the first public showing of material from her next project about politics - Unlabelled Political Project.
The world is in a mess. Am I part of the problem? Why is the world so confusing? Why are discussions about politics so divisive? Can we help each other find some answers to some big questions? Or find some better questions?
LOCATION: Theatre
DURATION: Approx. 1hr 30mins incl. an interval
SUITABILITY: 14+
TICKETS: £6
Saturday 25 February 11am
Director’s Masterclass: Staging Text
How does a director approach a new play for the first time? There are many approaches to directing plays and Live Theatre has been home to most of them.
In this participatory workshop join Steve Marmion, Artistic Director at Soho Theatre, and discover how a director works with text. How they form ideas and translate those to the stage.
This workshop, open to anyone with an interest in directing, is a fantastic opportunity to learn the secrets of bringing new plays to life.
This workshop, open to anyone with an interest in directing, is a fantastic opportunity to learn the secrets of bringing new plays to life.
LOCATION: Studio
DURATION: Approx. 3 hrs
SUITABILITY: 14+
TICKETS: £8, £6 concs
Saturday 25 February 4pm & 6pm
Blackout
Presented by fanSHEN
If seeing is believing, what can you believe when you’re in complete darkness?
Blackout explores what happens when you escape from bland certainty of sight. Where does your imagination take you?
Does time follow the same rules when you can’t see the hands of your watch? When do you start to notice all of the sounds that make up silence? And what stories do you tell yourself to make sense of it all?
Take part in a moment of reflection, an outing into the unexpected, a sensory adventure, all from the safety of a darkened room…
See this brand new piece by fanSHEN who were Live Lab 2015 Bursary winners to develop Lists for the End of the World for last years’ Elevator festival.
Please note this audience members will be asked to wear a blindfold for this performance and audiences are limited to a capacity of 12 people per performance.
LOCATION: Studio
DURATION: Approx. 40mins
SUITABILITY: 14+
TICKETS: £5
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