Live from the Television Centre

Coming to BBC 4 on the 15 November is an eclectic mix of theatre Live from the Television Centre. It’s produced for the BBC by Peter Maniura and commissioned by Mark Bell.

This is an exciting mix of performances from theatre companies Gecko, Richard Dedomenici, Touretteshero and Common Wealth in a two-hour broadcast of genre-busting theatre that celebrates all of Britain’s incredible theatre talent.

Gecko has been pushing the boundaries of dance and theatre since 2001 with its unique brand of beautiful and visceral storytelling. It will kick off the evening with a performance with an ordinary man at its heart.

They are considered to be the leaders in the field of physical and visual theatre. Their shows have toured to more than 20 countries around the world including sold-out performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Amit Lahav, the artistic director of Gecko for the past 15 years, told me, “Our productions are highly theatrical and totally accessible for both new and hardened theatre audiences.”

Their show The Time Of Your Life is a "man against the machine" narrative—not unlike The Matrix.

Amit explained, “the story follows a man who is desperate to feel special. Through four increasingly vivid rooms, he experiences his birth, family, love and ultimately his death.”

He continued, ”with this piece, we want our audience to feel empowered to change their perspective on life and to ask questions of the world they live in.”

Amit is extremely passionate about the piece He sees it, “as a piece exploring our modern existence lived through social networks and consumed through advertising, but also a need to connect with our deeply human need to relate with each other and for truth.”

He feels that, “people innately want to feel the world around them and to believe in it.”

This promises to be an exciting season.