What does it mean to follow a dream when you don’t fit in and the odds are stacked against you?Great Odds is a new play for 6 to 11-year-olds about what it means to follow a dream in a world where that can sometimes feel impossible. A collaboration with a d/Deaf* and hearing company that integrates puppetry, visual storytelling, drama, music and sound with British Sign Language, Great Odds has been co-produced with Lighthouse and Poole’s Centre for the Arts, where it opens a UK tour on 18 October. Weaving British Sign Language throughout, Great Odds is the first production by Mac’s Arcadian, a new theatre company re-founded a year ago by theatre maker Esther McAuley in order to create accessible, visually unusual and socially conscious work in collaboration with d/Deaf and hearing artists. The story follows Marco who communicates through speech and sign language, Grouch who uses British Sign Language (BSL) and Jewels, a musician, who communicates through music and mime. Central to the production is that nobody’s ability or disability is named or labeled or discussed - "The play is about communication and about what it might mean to follow a dream, literally and metaphorically” says Esther. Exploring ambition, communication and friendship, Great Odds is an exciting and sometimes wobbly adventure story where dreams change shape, unexpected things are uncovered and success comes through surprising discoveries. When their landlord, The Big Boss, hikes up the rent for the theatre that is their livelihood, Grouch, Jewels and Marco set out to create a sell-out show that will save the day. Working with the audience they conjure a story about a puppet who sets out to follow a dream that escaped from its ear at night, but before they can finish The Big Boss tells them she has had a much better offer from a supermarket chain and they must leave immediately. Turned out into the silent darkness, gradually self-generated lights twinkle into life and the Great Odds find a new way to tell their story and enable the puppet to follow its dream after all. Funded by Arts Council England, Great Odds was developed in R&D sessions at the Unicorn Theatre and Improbable in London with read-throughs and informal sharings before being co-produced with Lighthouse. “The aim of this project is to engage audiences throughout the UK, especially children and families who may face barriers accessing the language used in mainstream theatre productions touring locally to them,” says Esther. “It's incredibly exciting for me to be working in partnership with Lighthouse on Great Odds and, as well as a lot of practical support, it has been a great source of nurture and encouragement.” Great Odds will be at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Sunday 22 October and tickets are available from the Box Office on 01970 62 32 32 or online at www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk * d/Deaf is a short-cut term used to describe simultaneously people who are Deaf (sign language users) and deaf (hard of hearing who have English as their first language and may lip read and/or use hearing aids). |
| Aberystwyth Arts Centre web site: http://www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk/ |
| Marketing dept. Aberystwyth Arts Centre e-mail: artscentre-marketing@aber.ac.uk |
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 |
Older news
stories have been carefully archived.
2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999