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Low Life |
Blind Summit Theatre use Bunraku inspired puppetry to make contemporary theatre for adult audiences. They abandon the idea of the puppeteers as invisible figures hidden in black hoods and costumes, and concentrate on exposing the complexities of the relationship between puppeteer and puppet.
In 2005 Blind Summit collaborated with Anthony Minghella to make the puppetry for his Olivier Award winning production of Madam Butterfly for the English National Opera, The Lithuanian National Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, House in New York.
Low Life is Blind Summit’s fifth entirely original production.
Welcome to the Low Life cabaret, down here where puppets live alongside people…
A man dances a love duet with a beer glass, a diva drinks to forget, Bud the plumber drowns behind the bar and Jack Belane, tiny private detective, totally screws up a case.
Fresh from their collaboration with Anthony Minghella on his award winning Madam Butterfly in London and New York, puppet innovators Blind Summit return with their 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival sell-out show, Low Life, exploring the seedy side of life. Taking the short stories and poems of Charles Bukowski as inspiration, they create an alcohol-soaked world of deadbeats and losers.
Your world will never be the same again.
"Mad, bad and beautiful in equal measure." **** The Guardian
“Take a note of the name. You’ll be hearing lots more from them.”
**** The Herald
Created by Blind Summit Theatre
Developed at BAC and The Junction, Cambridge as part of Escalator
Directors: Nick Barnes and Mark Down
Current performers: Curtis Jordan, Mhairi Steenbock and Ben Thompson.
Original performers: Giulia Innocenti, Finn Caldwell
Lighting design: Fi Simpson
"Stories brought to quite stunning animated life by the gorgeous puppets of Blind Summit theatre"
***** Timeout Critic's Choice
"As if Jacques Brel, George Best and Gabriel García Márquez had all wandered into the same bar and struck up a deeply meaningful discussion."
****Lynn Gardner in The Guardian
"Transfixing" The Daily Telegraph
"If puppetry is ever the next rock’n’roll these animators may well be its front men" Timeout
The company offer workshops on object manipulation and Bunraku puppetry, teaching and developing puppetry skills to all levels, and the opportunity to meet with the company through post show discussions.
Low Life is available for touring. Please see www.blindsummit.com for more information.
Other Blind Summit shows available to tour include The Spaceman, Pirate Puppetry and Tramping The Boards.
2005
Edinburgh Fringe Festival – The Smirnoff Underbelly, 3 week run
2006
London International Mime Festival – BAC, 3 weeks
UK tour:
Buddle Arts Centre – February
Croydon Clocktower – April
Nuffield Theatre, Southampton – May
Norfolk and Norwich Festival – Norwich Puppet Theatre - May
Pulse Festival – New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich – June
The Junction, Cambridge – June
Festival des Sept Collines, St Etienne – July
Newbury Comedy Festival – The Late Lounge – July
Festival of Firsts, The Royal Opera House, London - November 2006
2007
BAC Main House - Jan 2007 - 2 weeks
British Council Showcase, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
UK tour:
Tobacco Factory, Bristol
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
Unity Theatre, Liverpool
South Street, Reading
The Point, Eastleigh
You can download a touring information pack, an audio trailer and high resolution images here.
