My early work with Red Shift Theatre
In 1991, Red Shift Theatre's production of Timon of Athens was the subject of a The Late Show special on BBC2. I argued for a full cast of woman for the piece but eventually only the title roll of Timon (and more obvious female rolls were cast), But the central role of Timon was a first in English professional theatre to change a man to a woman and like Romeo and Juliet before it we used repeated scenes "to destabilize both textual and production authority". On the BBC's Late show Germaine Greer said "This was the best designed theatre show I've ever seen".
In fact, since Red Shift's first appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in 1983, (which was described by Lynn Gardner of the Guardian in 2009 as having "raised the tone of theatre" at the Festival) our goal was to turn theatre upside down. An early production was the successful The Duchess of Malfi (1982–84), at the Edinburgh Festival and then on tour, which used a 1950s MIlan setting so that actors wore sharp suits - at that time theatre was bound in the past and would've followed standard costume drama tropes (it still does). But if you see a contemporary show with a Re:Setting of the period - it began with Red Shift.. This was followed Romeo and Juliet at the YWCA, Edinburgh, focused on the play's violence rather than its romance. It used six actors, with the part of Romeo being divided among the three men, and Juliet among the three women; it also reordered scenes, repeating some, and redistributed lines from the Shakespeare version. It was described in a review for Shakespeare Bulletin as a "daring revisioning" that might have "trashed Shakespeare" but "provocatively invited a fresh, if peculiar, look" at the original.[11] Later we ventured into Mexican territory (which involved a kidnapping of our writer Greg Cullen in Mexico City) with Frida and Diego - again a first in terms of subject matter - and Greg survived his ordeal. |
THEATRE Including:
Orlando Red shift Theatre Co Arts Council
Le Misanthrope Red Shift Theatre Co Edinburgh Fringe First Award
Freda & Diego Red Shift Theatre Co Edinburgh Fringe First Award
The Duchess of Malfi Edinburgh Fringe First Award
Lulu Red Shift Theatre Co Arts Council
Mill on the Floss Red Shift Theatre Co Arts Council
Timon of Athens Red Shift Theatre Co Arts Council
The Christmas Caro, Taunton Brewhouse, Director Robert Miles
The Snow Queen Taunton Brewhouse, Director Robert Miles
The Lemmings are Coming Riverside Theatre, London Riverside Studios
Image of the Beast Red Shift Theatre Co Edinburgh Fringe First Award
The Death of Tarelkin The Gate Theatre The Gate London
FILMS
J G Ballard
Living in Hope Fluidity Films Feature
Skin Deep Ignition Films HTV - Nominated for Bafta best short film - 2001
Bhangra Heads Maiden Voyage HTV
Cooking Pigeons Street Carnival Productions HTV
Le Tango Stupifiant Zed Productions Channel 4
Refuse to Dance Mingflow Productions Channel 4
The World Within Us Triplevision Channel 4
The Crane BFI BFI
Child in the Forest HTV HTV
Orlando Red shift Theatre Co Arts Council
Le Misanthrope Red Shift Theatre Co Edinburgh Fringe First Award
Freda & Diego Red Shift Theatre Co Edinburgh Fringe First Award
The Duchess of Malfi Edinburgh Fringe First Award
Lulu Red Shift Theatre Co Arts Council
Mill on the Floss Red Shift Theatre Co Arts Council
Timon of Athens Red Shift Theatre Co Arts Council
The Christmas Caro, Taunton Brewhouse, Director Robert Miles
The Snow Queen Taunton Brewhouse, Director Robert Miles
The Lemmings are Coming Riverside Theatre, London Riverside Studios
Image of the Beast Red Shift Theatre Co Edinburgh Fringe First Award
The Death of Tarelkin The Gate Theatre The Gate London
FILMS
J G Ballard
Living in Hope Fluidity Films Feature
Skin Deep Ignition Films HTV - Nominated for Bafta best short film - 2001
Bhangra Heads Maiden Voyage HTV
Cooking Pigeons Street Carnival Productions HTV
Le Tango Stupifiant Zed Productions Channel 4
Refuse to Dance Mingflow Productions Channel 4
The World Within Us Triplevision Channel 4
The Crane BFI BFI
Child in the Forest HTV HTV