In the battle to deal with draconian funding cuts big regional theatres are under increasing pressure to just revive ‘bums on seats’ classics so full marks to West Yorkshire Playhouse for devoting two weekends to the new and off beat.
Transform 12 aims to build on last year’s event that certainly had some high and lows which is the mark of something truly daring. I don’t think anyone will forget cabaret legends The Wau Wau Sisters running round naked at the end of a truly amazing hour of theatre where they recreated the last supper with audience members.
Running over the weekends of 19 – 22 & 26 – 28 April, Transform audiences will be dazzled, challenged and asked to take part in a series of events, and the good news is some of them are free.
One of the strengths of Transform is that it is not a passive event instead inviting punters to have a go so make sure you check out You: The Player on Fri 27 & Sat 28 April at 2pm, 4pm & 6pm, Intrepid theatre lovers will be taken on an interactive adventure played through the maze of corridors, workshops and hidden rooms that see Look Left Look Right challenging the audience to beat them at their own game. Mapping out a route through the theatre, audience members will make choices, solve clues and answer questions in a bid to win with chance encounters and bewildering scenarios combining together to throw them off the scent as only some corridors will lead to victory.
Working with five local writers, Emma Adams, Wayne Lettice, Lorna Poustie, Eamon Rooney and Tajinder Singh Hayer and Mic Pool, the Playhouse’s Tony Award-winning Director of Creative Technology, Look Left Look Right will create a world of adventure taking audiences to parts of the Playhouse that are ordinarily out of bounds.
For fans of the new there is loads to go at including the snappily titled 12 proposals For a Better Europe Respectfully Offered By Observers From The Sidelines on
Fri 27 April at 9.00pm. Award-winning artist and theatre maker Chris Thorpe joins forces with Belarus Free Theatre’s internationally acclaimed writer and director Nicolai Khalezin to develop and present this work in porgress. Nicolai writes in Belarusian and Chris in English, abd together they explore what is important to the people of Belarus and the UK questioning notions of security, money, family and freedom, and ask where, and how, we stand when poised at the very edges of this continent known as Europe. Created during and for Trasform and commissioned by West Yorkshire Playhouse this is the first collaboration between two of the most ground-breaking theatre makers working today.
Another bold event that could be a total car crash is 9 on Fri 20 & Sat 21 April at 7.30pm, where nine non-performers have created carefully crafted, highly personal, beautifully expressive solo performance portraits to be presented on the Courtyard stage. These nine intrepid individuals include Oliver – a painter and decorator, Fabiana – mum and fanatical fan of Muse, and Ben – a social worker and punk trombonist. This could be awful or brilliant, but this sort of risky venture sums up what Transform 12 is all about.
Transform 12 Director Amy Letman told Culture Vulture there will be loads going on the bar and everyone is encouraged to join in what are likely to be very lively debates about what they’re just seen.
Tickets for TRANSFORM can be booked by calling West Yorkshire Playhouse Box Office on 0113 213 7700 or by visiting www.wyp.org.uk