Back on tour

*This post was UPDATED on 12 Feb 2012*
[Watch a video trailer of What I Heard About The World here]
[Watch a video trailer for Story Map here]

In February and March we're on the road with both Story Map and What I Heard About The World, along with a programme of talks, workshops and related events. A simple tour list is up on the News Page of the website, but I thought it might be useful/interesting for some readers to go into a bit more detail about what's happening where, when and why. To tell the story of the tour, as it were.

We now think of the two pieces as a companion pieces (more on that in later blog post, I think), and certainly the plan is that in each performance of What I Heard About The World we will include a one different story that we have found through the Story Map research.

 photo: Craig Fleming

We kick off with what feels like a combined two-week North-East residency at ARC and Northern Stage, who between them are hosting the complete range of the project plus some other associated projects.

ARC, Stockton on Tees

Story Map: Tuesday 31 January, 10am – 10pm

You can follow it, and take part, online.

What I Heard About The World: Thursday 2 February, 7.30pm

NORTHERN STAGE, Newcastle Upon Tyne

What I Heard About The World: Wed 8 – Fri 10 February, 8.15pm

Plus:

Weds 8: post-show mini-Playing With Time video screening in Stage 3 – we'll be introducing three short films from the Third Angel repertoire.

Thurs 9, 7.15pm: pre-show talk Stories We Didn't Tell. Created for the Society of Cartographers' Summer School and the NASN's Dialogues series, Stories We Didn't Tell explores the development of the show and the three way collaboration between Third Angel, mala voadora and Worldmapper.org. It includes, unsurprisingly, a few of the stories we don't tell in the show, and considers why we don't tell them. (This talk is available for other venues – get in touch).

Also on Thurs 9: post-show talk with the creative team.

Then What I Heard About The World is on tour across England, starting in the North West:

AXIS ARTS CENTRE, Crewe:

Thursday 16 February, 7.30pm

Having worked a lot with the Axis team in Alsager, this will be our first visit to the new space in Crewe. We'll also be showing two new video pieces - Story Titles and World Cartograms - inspired by the research process, again in collaboration with Worldmapper.org, in the foyer gallery space, all week, too.

ZION ARTS CENTRE, Manchester:

Friday 17 February, 7.30pm

We are delighted to be the opening event of the new WordofWarning programme in Manchester. There will be a couple of speeches, a bonus short performance and drinks – come and celebrate!

And then we head South, with a welcome return visit to be part of the fantastic season at:

THE JUNCTION, Cambridge:

Monday 20 February, 8pm

Followed by two weeks at the brilliant:

SOHO THEATRE, London:

Weds 22 Feb – Sat 3 March (not Sun 26), 7.45pm
plus Saturday Matinees at 3.30pm
It's our first visit to Soho, and we're really excited to be taking the work there - come along, tell your friends! We'll be running a number of workshops whilst we're in London – get in touch if you'd like us to run one with you.

Also, during the run at Soho, Chris and Hannah Jane Walker will be presenting The Oh F*ck Moment, as a late show on Friday and Saturday evenings at 9.45pm. It's a great show, so why not come down and see both...

After that, What I Heard About The World continues, heading to the South West, the South, and, er, the Middle (ish). Trace this last two weeks of the tour on the map... We start with one of our favourite venues:

EXETER PHOENIX

Tuesday 6 March, 8pm

And then a run of really exciting venues that are all first time visits for us:

THEATRE ROYAL WINCHESTER,
Thursday 8 March,8pm

THE BREWERY, TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRE, Bristol:
Friday 9 & Sat 10 March, 8.15pm

UNIVERSITY of BEDFORD THEATRE  

Wednesday 15 March, 7.30pm

What I Heard About The World tour finishes at

THE CORE at CORBY CUBE:
Friday 16 March, 7.30pm

followed by Story Map:
Saturday 17 March, 10am - 10pm

Then to finish off the whole tour, we head to (South) London with Story Map:

THE ALBANY, London:

Saturday 24 March, 10am - 10pm

photo: Hannah Nicklin

So, a bit more about the project:

Both pieces are devised and performed by Jorge Andrade, Alexander Kelly and Chris Thorpe, and created in collaboration with José Capela and Rachael Walton. 

In Story Map we are joined by online-documenter/researcher-corroborator-dramaturg Hannah Nicklin, and throughout the project we have been assisted and documented by Lauren Stanley.

All of this has been managed by Hilary Foster for Third Angel and Manuel Poças for mala voadora.

What I Heard About The World

"A theatre piece with two songs: one original, one karaoke."

There's quite a lot on this blog about the process of making the show: 

Here's where it all started.  

Here's us refining our brief. 

Here are some thoughts on the influence of Worldmapper. 

Here's the start of Lauren's rehearsal diary. 

Here's a bit about the use of drawing in the project.
Here are some thoughts on taking the show back out on tour in the UK.

Story Map

A 12 hour durational research performance.

You can follow Story Map online, as it runs live. Just visit:

http://whatiheardabouttheworld.co.uk

and/or follow me (@AlexanderKelly) on Twitter.

There are some thoughts from me about the 12-hour nature of the performance, here.

**

Third Angel and mala voadora present

What I Heard About The World & Story Map

A co-production with Sheffield Theatres and Teatro Maria Matos, Lisbon

In association with PAZZ Performing Arts Festival and Worldmapper.org.

Supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.