The Journey, Canary, Intronauts
The Journey – tour starts 3 November
London based Badac Theatre tours The Journey, a story of a mother and child fleeing their war-ravaged homeland for a destination of perceived safety and the emotional, psychological and physical effects experienced by those forced to flee their homes.
Featuring a cast that includes actors who are themselves refugees and face an uncertain future in Britain and researched in Lebanon and in UK refugee communities by director Steve Lambert, this play is based on true-life refugee experiences.
Adherents of Antonin Artaud’s ‘Theatre of Cruelty’, Badac’s work is "often highly controversial and polarising".
The Journey visits Draper Hall Elephant & Castle London, Norwich Arts Centre, The Out of the Blue Drill Hall Edinburgh, Arlington Arts Centre Newbury, West End Centre Aldershot, North Oxford Association Community Centre, Seckford Theatre Woodbridge, Folded Space Southend, Tavistock Community Centre Bedford, Rosmini Centre Wisbech and The Drill House Great Yarmouth.
Canary – tour starts 8 November
In Canary, company Fun in the Oven Theatre uses physical theatre with contemporary sound design to look at the life of the Canary Girls, the women who worked in Britain’s munitions factories during the First World War.
Factory life seems perfect for Agnes, Anne and Betty until an air raid sends them on an explosive journey through euphoric emancipation, forbidden friendships and anarchic dreams.
Presenting real stories sourced from Tyne & Wear archives, the Devil's Porridge Museum and the Imperial War Museum, this "darkly comical" show has been created in collaboration with Spanish physical theatre company Teatro En Vilo and the tour is produced in association with Carole W Productions.
Canary plays Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, The Beehive Honiton, Blue Elephant Theatre London, Theatre Delicatessen Sheffield, Interplay Theatre Leeds, Visionari Festival York Theatre Royal, Circomedia Bristol, Hereford Courtyard and Gosforth Civic Theatre.
Intronauts – tour starts 9 November
"Madcap comedy" Intronauts is set in a soon-to-come future where science has developed miniaturised human workers for injection into the human body to carry out essential maintenance to maintain health and hygiene. But what happens if your cleaner discovers your dirty laundry?
Channelling classic sci-fi movies, this journey through a microscopic world looks at advancing technology using absurd visual comedy and puppetry.
Intronauts is devised and performed by Emma Keaveney-Roys, Adam Fuller and Chris Pirie and directed by Emma Williams. Composition is by Simon Preston.
It is presented by UK / France based company GreenGinger and Nordland Visual Theatre.
Intronauts visits Prema Arts Ulley, Old Market Brighton, South Street Arts Reading, Enable Us University of Sheffield, Shelley Theatre Bournemouth, Marine Theatre Lyme Regis, The Drum Theatre Royal Plymouth, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh (as part of Manipulate Festival), Playground Theatre London, Warwick Arts Centre, Exeter Phoenix West End Centre Aldershot, Brewery Arts Centre Kendal, The Civic Barnsley and Tobacco Factory Theatre Bristol.