The Paradise Project at the Edinburgh Fringe

Third Angel & mala voadora present

The Paradise Project

                                     /  Projecto Paraíso

8 – 30 August 2015 (not Weds 12, 19 or 26)

NORTHERN STAGE at SUMMERHALL

Book tickets here!

Every day they come in and try again.

The Paradise Project is a show rebuilt - slightly differently - each time it is presented. Of all the shows we’ve made, perhaps this is the one where the process, form and subject matter all seem to intertwine the most.

Two companies create a show about two people whose job, it appears, is to come up with a better way for people to live together. A better way to be people, together. Some days they make progress. Some days they make new discoveries. Some days it all falls apart. But every day, or so it seems, they come in and try again.

   photo: José Carlos Duarte

I say ‘so it seems’, because it feels (to me, at least) like we discovered these two people doing this job, and, as a collective of two companies, we then began to figure out the rules of their task. Each time we revisit them, it feels like we learn something new about them, and their endless work. As we constructed their environment in Warwick Arts Centre back in February, sound designer Ivan Mack and I began to wonder if there weren’t actually many of these rooms, with many pairs of humans, trying to figure out a new set of rules to live by.

Each time we build a new Paradise Project (so far, anyway), it is a different combination of performers. Although there isn’t a defined female role or a male role, so far there has always been a man and a woman.

 photo: José Carlos Duarte

For our Edinburgh construction, I am delighted to announce that The Paradise Project will be constructed by Stacey Sampson and Jerry Killick. We have worked with Jerry a number of times over the years, going back to Where From Here in 2000, and he joined the Project at Warwick Arts Centre in February. Stacey we are currently working with on the next incarnation of Labour Intensive. We’re really excited to see how they do this job together.

You can read more about the making of The Paradise Project on this blog, and in an article in Contemporary Theatre Review. 

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Members of The Paradise Project team have other shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, too, all of which are well worth checking out:

• Chris Thorpe is performing in Unlimited Theatre’s Am I Dead Yet? and his solo piece Confirmation, made with Rachel Chavkin.
• Lucy Ellinson is in The Christians, part of her on-going collaboration with The Gate Theatre.
• Jim Harrison will also be looking after Forced Entertainment at Summerhall.
• Mark Maughan is Associate Director of Made In China's new show, Tonight I'm Gonna Be The New Me.
• And I am a mentor on Daniel Bye’s new show, Going Viral.
• Chris, Dan and I (and many others) are also guest contributors to Here Is The News From Over There, this year's Border Ballad-style piece from Northern Stage. 

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The Paradise Project

8-30 August 2015

Northern Stage at Summerhall

Edinburgh Fringe

Performed by

Jerry Killick & Stacey Sampson

                       

Conceived, devised and written by

Jorge Andrade, José Capela, Alexander Kelly, Chris Thorpe and Rachael Walton

In collaboration with

Tânia Alves, David Cabecinha, Fernando Villas-Boas and Lucy Ellinson

With creative input from

Hannah Butterfield and Mark Maughan

Scenography

José Capela with image editing by António MV and Tiago Pinhal Costa

Lighting Design

Eduardo Abdála
 and James Harrison

Sound Design

Ivan Mack, Rui Lima & Sérgio Martins

Technical Manager

Craig Davidson

Technical Intern

Michael Gooch

Video Documentation

Jorge Jácome

Publicity Design

du.st

Production & Management:

Manuel Poças, Joana Santos and Vânia Rodrigues (mala voadora)

Dep Arts and Hilary Foster (Third Angel)

With special thanks to:

Renske Doorenspleet, Steve Fuller, Peter Marshall, Maria Do Mar Pereira, Ian Stewart, Nathaniel Tkacz and Emilie Whitaker; Daniel Pinheiro; Daniel Worm d'Assumpção; Prado; Matt Burman, Paul Warwick, Ed Collier; Sheffield Theatres; all of the staff at Teatro Maria Matos and Warwick Arts Centre.

A co-production with Warwick Arts Centre, Maria Matos Teatro Municipal and House on Fire, with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union. Supported by Companhia Nacional de Bailado, Largo Residências and Caixas Baratas.

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Sectretario de Estado da Cultura and DG Artes.

#theparadiseproject

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@thirdangeluk

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Welcome to 2015

So, 2015. There you are. Hello.

It's going to be busy. 2014 was a big year - 2015 will be bigger, I think, in many ways. But for now this is just about what Third Angel is up to - in the first half of the year, anyway. We're touring four existing shows:

    > The Life & Loves of a Nobody tours in the UK from January to May.
    > The Paradise Project has its UK premiere at Warwick Arts Centre in February.
    > What I Heard About the World tours to Brussels and the USA in January and March.
    > Cape Wrath goes out on the road in the UK again in April.

and developing two more:

    > Labour Intensive will premiere at The Birth Project symposium in Derby in April.
    > and we're developing an expanded version of 600 People with astro-physicist Dr. Simon Goodwin.

We'll also be undertaking education residencies in Leeds, Scarborough and Sheffield, as well as mentoring exciting new projects by our good friends Hannah Nicklin and Daniel Bye.

I'll post updates about the new projects separately in the weeks to come, but scroll down for tour dates and booking links...

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Third Angel & Sheffield Theatres present

The Life & Loves of A Nobody

photo: Marcus Sarko

Rachel always wanted to be a star

Rachel wanted to run away with the circus

And have her name in lights

And escape from this house

And she dreamed of the future.

But people can be ugly. The closer they are the uglier they get. And there’s nobody closer to yourself than yourself.

Life is a juggling act. Love is a highwire. Try to do both at once, and it's a long way down. But even if the act goes wrong, you can still be famous for the fall.

                                                                                                                    

"the visual payoff [is] sublime... It is well worth getting to know Rachel, whoever she is" The Guardian

"really beguiles... full of beautifully intimate moments that stick in the mind for long after the lights come up" Exeunt Magazine

After the success of the 2014 performances, The Life & Loves of a Nobody is out on the road for much of the first half of 2015. We hope you can join us:

27 January

Live at LICA

Lancaster

Box Office 01524 594151

www.liveatlica.org

3 – 7 February

The Albany

Deptford

Box Office 020 8692 4446

www.thealbany.org.uk

12 February

Warwick Arts Centre

Box Office 024 7652 4524

http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

13 March

Hull Truck Theatre

Box Office 01482 323638

www.hulltruck.co.uk

14 March

Prema

Box Office 01453 860703

www.prema.org.uk

22 March

Square Chapel Centre for the Arts

Halifax

Box Office 01422 349422

www.squarechapel.co.uk

25 March

Cast

Doncaster

Box Office 01302 303 959

www.castindoncaster.com

26 & 27 March

The Lowry

Box Office 0843 208 6000

www.thelowry.com

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Third Angel & mala voadora present

The Paradise Project / Projeto Paraiso

A co-production with Teatro Maria Matos 

& Warwick Arts Centre

photo: José Carlos Duarte

Imagine a place better than where you are.

Every day they come in and try again. They try to figure out how to live together. They try to find a place to be. They start to build something that will never be completed - at least, not within their own life times. 

And every day it works. Or it doesn't. Well, it depends how you measure it.

So today - today they will try something different.

The Paradise Project is full of wit, intelligence and humanity. Join Third Angel (Sheffield) & mala voadora (Lisbon) for a show about following instructions, inventing your own rules and keeping trying. 

UK Premiere

10 & 11 February

Warwick Arts Centre

Box Office 024 7652 4524

http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

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Third Angel & mala voadora present

What I Heard About the World

A co-production with Teatro Maria Matos 

& Sheffield Theatres

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

Nominated for a Total Theatre Award for Innovation.

"Wonderful" The Guardian

"A fiery show that provokes and unsettles with striking, often brutal storytelling. Amazing." Fringe Biscuit

“this gorgeous piece of theatre...makes you think about the world, makes you laugh about the world, makes you glad to be part of the world in all its madness.”

Total Theatre Review

“a reminder of the best and worst of human behaviour, by turns hilarious and moving”

Daily Telegraph

21 & 22 January

Théâtre 140

Brussels

www.theatre140.be

13 & 14 March

The Kennedy Center

Washington DC

http://www.kennedy-center.org

...which will be the 100th performance of the show!*

*update...due to unforseen circumstances, the matinee at Théâtre 140 had to be cancelled, so the Washington performances will be 98 and 99...

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The Life & Loves of a Nobody and The Paradise Project are produced by Dep Arts.

The Life & Loves of a Nobody is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

The Paradise Project is a Triggered@Warwick project and is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Sectretario de Estado da Cultura, DG Artes and House on Fire, with the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union.

What I Heard About the World is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and co-produced with Worldmapper and PAZZ Festival.

Observing the Process

Here's a guest blogpost from theatre maker, Mark Maughan, who was in with us in week 2 of making The Paradise Project...

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Since you’re reading this, you’re probably already interested in Third Angel’s new piece, The Paradise Project. You’ll have already read Alex’s blog describing the second week and so you won’t want a rehashing of what has already been written. What I can offer is a little insight of my own; as to how I ended up in the room as an observer and what I saw. Rather than that being indulgent, I hope it’s informative.

I’m Mark Maughan, a theatre director. I met Alex whilst we were both involved with two different pieces at Gateshead International Festival of Theatre (GIFT) in 2013. Alex saw the piece I directed called Petrification, written by Zoe Cooper. We started chatting in the bar afterwards, and when he complimented my favourite green shirt I knew this was someone I wanted to remain in contact with. Since then, I’ve called him for advice on a couple of occasions as I develop my own work, I’ve seen more performances by Third Angel and then we spoke again at GIFT 2014, where we discussed the possibility of me observing.

Alex learnt that I am interested in theatre that crosses language-barriers, so when he mentioned the collaboration with mala voadora, it was a logical choice. I am also in the process of making a piece with writer Tim Cowbury which actively plays with language onstage, so it seemed like the right project to involve myself with.   

So, what did I observe?

I’ll start with the trust and respect that the two companies have for one another. A simple point, but one worth making. I’m not talking about in jokes and friendly patter – though there was plenty of that – more the way they communicate ideas and hear each other out. I forgot who belonged to which company as the emphasis was always placed on the piece and an individual’s take on it. That’s not to say that the tone in the room was always polite, but it certainly was one that encouraged you to express what you’re thinking and then be challenged by a colleague in a way that is constructive. I get the impression that all their processes together might push the deadline somewhat, but it does allow for ideas to be thrashed out, safe in the knowledge that good things will prevail because of a mutual sense of trust that has been built over the years.

There was also always the possibility to surprise each other. Everyone in the room is aware of each other’s strengths – be that thinking analytically about something, a preoccupation with making an idea very clear, producing text seemingly out of nowhere – and yet, there was always the possibility of taking an idea in a different direction. And it could be driven by anyone. Sometimes this happened when one individual’s idea was fully explored, then at others because a series of ideas were bunched together, pushed in a certain direction to see what happened, provoking further discussion. This is common in a devising process – as initially the number of shows equal the number of heads in the room slowly but surely becoming one – but there seemed to be a real openness to try things out and see what landed, to make a coherent whole. This also translated to practical considerations, as a planned writing session was scrapped to allow for further conversations, or vice versa.  The room dynamic was completely responsive to what was needed on that day.

Which brings me on to compromise. Entire versions of the show that had been discussed over long conversations prior to these three weeks were held under the light and then shelved. This process of selection had only really begun at the end of the second week of rehearsals, with much more of it to come in the third week over in Portugal, I imagine. It’s always a testing stage of the process, but one which was dealt with through great humour and an overall wish to best serve what the piece was becoming.

As someone who regularly works with writers, I was intrigued to watch how the more heavily written parts of the show – produced throughout the week and by everyone – were woven into the performance as a whole.  Often someone asked what the piece would look like if it had to be performed the following morning. It is safe to say that the hypothetical answer to this question changed vastly over the week. What started as a rule based piece focused on two people in a room, debating what paradise meant to them both on a personal and general plain, then had words added that cast a glance to events detached from the space, providing it with new textures and viewpoints that had to be encompassed into the overall gesture of the piece. I’ll not say much more on this point else I might give the game away, but it was a fascinating thing to watch.

And then the final thing to say was the level of commitment on show. It’s humbling to watch artists further along in their career go through the same motions for creating a new piece that we all go through, proving once again there are no right answers when making a new one. What is required is a dedication from everyone involved and a complete sensitivity and respect for what each person brings to the room.

I cannot wait to see what ends up on stage in Warwick. See you there.