manipulate Visual Theatre Festival 2012
24 January 2012 ← return to listing
Visual Theatre can be anything from puppetry and physical
theatre to animation and film, and we're delighted to be hosting
some of the best examples of these art forms at the
manipulate festival next week.
Now entering its fifth year, manipulate is a one-off
event in the Scottish cultural calendar, when the Traverse
becomes home to some of the most avant-garde visual theatre,
puppetry, object and physical theatre to be seen anywhere in the
UK, and a film programme which offers a snapshot of the best
international contemporary animation.
Performance
The performance programme begins with Hamletmachine by Compagnie Sans
Soucis (France). Dynamic video projection and highly theatrical
object manipulation capture the tensions and urgency of Henrik
Müller's play (Monday 30 Jan, returns only).
Invisible Thread (England) present their first ever production,
Plucked…A True Fairy
Tale, which uses object theatre, live video-feed painting,
puppetry and animation to conjure up a dark miniature world
(Tuesday 31 Jan).
Czech Republic company Wariot Ideal perform Polaris, a story
of two men lost in the Antarctic and a wait for help that never
arrives, combining physical theatre, improvisation, mime, film and
sound design (Wednesday 1 Feb).
There's been a last minute change to the programme and
unfortunately Akhe's Gobo.digital Glossary has been
cancelled. However we are delighted to present Appel d'Air from
Théâtre Vélo.
Snapshots matches-up leading Scottish
puppeteers and Scottish theatre directors to each create a ten
minute piece of visual theatre, followed by Finnish show Her
Cup of Tea(Friday 3 Feb).
Austrian choreographer, Editta Braun, has created the bizarre
and touching Luvos,a highly expressive and physical piece
which plays with the body at its familiar and most alien (Saturday
4 Feb).
Closing the live performance programme is The Return of the Great
Puppet Horn, from Pangolin's Teatime, England, the UK's
leading satirical puppet show featuring up-to-the-minute commentary
on everything from the global financial crisis to Take That
(Saturday Feb 4).
Film programme
Curated by Susie Wilson, the manipulate film programme
is a collection of feature length and short films, showcasing the
best international animation. Feature films include the Oscar
nominated Chico & Rita, 2010 (Tuesday
31 Jan),Waltz with Bashir from
Israel, 2008 (Wednesday 1 Feb) and Goodbye Mr Christie from the
UK, 2010 (3 Feb).
The short film programme, Off to the Asylum includes tall
tales and visceral imaginings from Greece, Germany, Poland and
France (2 Feb).
Watch the manipulate trailer to
get a taster of what's in store at the Traverse next week.
We hope to see you here!