LIE WITH ME by Kaite O'Reilly. Directed by Phillip Zarrilli 2019. Asian premiere at Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore.

LIE WITH ME

Presented by Intercultural Theatre Institute
In Collaboration with Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay

Written by Kaite O’Reilly
Directed by Phillip Zarrilli
​Performed by ITI's 2019 graduating cohort

What are the evolving ‘rules’ of sexual encounters in a ‘swipe right’ culture? 
What lies do we tell each other and ourselves in order to survive in an increasingly ‘throw-away’ consumerist society? 
How do we form genuine relationships in this post-truth unstable world? 

ITI presents the Asian premiere of Lie With Me, led by the award-winning team of playwright Kaite O'Reilly (“a writer to cherish” - The Guardian, “thought-provoking and entertaining” - The Stage) and director Phillip Zarrilli (“masterful artistry” - Disability Arts Online; “intellectual audacity coupled with sophisticated storytelling” - Wales Arts Review).

Performed by the international cast of ITI’s graduating cohort, Lie With Me takes a clear-eyed look at contemporary urban life in Singapore, through glimpses into the lives of eight young people trying to find their way in the world. 

Production Designer: Dorothy Png 
Sound Designer: Lee Yew Jin (Ctrl Fre@k)
Associate Sound Designer: Jeffrey Yue (Ctrl Fre@k)

CAST: Earnest Hope Tinambacan, Jin Chen, Regina Toon, Theresa Wee-Yenko, Ted Nudgent Fernandez Tac-An, Tysha Khan, Wendy Toh, Nourel Houda Essafi (A.K.A. Yiseong)

Download the programme for LIE WITH ME here: https://iti.edu.sg/assets/Uploads/FYP-3-Lie-With-Me.pdf

Scene 1: Hope Timanbacan and Regina Foo. Photo by Bernie Ng

REVIEWS:

[Review 1] Lie With Me - a powerful exploration of the longing for intimacy

12  Nov 2019

Article by Yaiza Canopoli
Photos by Bernie Ng

Written by Kaite O’Reilly and directed by Phillip Zarrilli, the Intercultural Theatre Institute presents the Asian premiere of Lie With Me - a play about human relationships, class struggles, and the quest for intimacy.

Scene 2: Regina Foo and Theresa Wee-Henko. Photo by Bernie Ng.

Led by a cast both Singaporean and international, the play was adapted by producers and actors alike to reflect Singaporean youth, and how we form meaningful relationships with each other. This is achieved by following eight characters, presented in pairs; one character of each pair overlaps and slips into the following couple on stage, threading a cyclical narrative of interconnectedness. The fact that each pair of characters feels lonely and isolated despite the wider connection to the entire cast speaks for itself: the sadness that envelops each character in its own way seeps out from the stage and makes this play relatable and breathtaking.

Movement score in the scene changeover between Scenes 2 and 3. Photo Bernie Ng.

The writing tackles a variety of topics and issues: we encounter poor Singaporeans, immigrants looking for work, sisters battling grief, same-sex couples, women fighting mental health issues, people in toxic relationships, and much more that falls in between these lines. Many of the characters’struggles begin to blend into each other to spell out a universally human longing for affection and love. As the fights that break out between couples, siblings, and strangers keep us on the edge of our seat, we are left with a deep sense of empathy for people whose actions are morally grey or straight-up terrible. A number of scenes end with characters who have lost their temper asking to be held, to be cared for - love and intimacy attempting to overcome anger and violence.

Scene 3: Wendy Toh and Theressa Yee-Henko. Photo by Bernie Ng.

The diversity of these relationships is impressive. We even get to witness the delightfully surprising connection that springs up between a self-involved upper-class woman and the prostitute she hires. While the attempt to cover such a wide variety of relationships and issues could have easily diluted the intensity of each story, the genuine nature of the dialogue, the fantastic acting (with wonderfully accurate facial expressions and even walking styles), and the masterful production made for a play that feels real and relevant.

Movement interlude between Scenes 3 and 4. Photo Bernie Ng.

It is not the most specifically local, Singaporean story you will ever hear. In fact, I would argue that despite its adaptation for the Singaporean stage, it still very much remains purposefully international and vague in its setting, which is perhaps one of its shortcomings. However, there is something to be said for a collaboration between writers, producers, and actors, and the blurred lines of the play’s location seem to me very much a result of this bringing together of people from all over the world. Whether the play should have been braver in shaping a more ‘obvious’Singaporean setting, or if its vague localisation works in its favour to make a stronger point about loneliness and isolation—that is for each viewer to decide.

Scene 4: Wendy Toh and Jin Chen. Photo by Bernie Ng.

Appropriately titled, Lie With Me invites the audience to feel and mourn with the characters as they hold on to the one thing they long for at the end of a terrible day: a moment of tenderness and unconditional human affection.

Lie With Me
by Intercultural Theatre Institute
Date: 7 Nov 2019
Time: 8:00pm
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio

Movement sequence between scenes 4 and 5. Photo: Bernie Ng.

REVIEW 2: ·      THE ARTS

November 15, 2019 6:46 pm

Lie With Me: Commentary on ‘Swipe Right’ Culture

Theatre Reviews

Swipe, swipe, swipe, swipe, sigh, put phone down. Pause for five minutes. Pick up phone and the swiping starts again. Since the invention of dating apps, it has never been easier to meet someone new and completely out of your immediate circles. You can find yourself going out on five dates a week, if you really wanted to. However, does connectivity relate to less loneliness?Award-winning playwright Katie O’Reilly‘s Lie With Me brings this question to the table.

Scene 5: Ted Nugent and Jin Chin. Photo: Bernie Ng.

It is a relatively recent phenomenon, the ‘swipe right’ culture, and it has shifted the ways in which we try to form genuine connections in a world that is increasingly consumerist and driven by instant gratification. Not only have our choice of partners have shifted, what we actively seek have changed as well—One Night Stand, Friends With Benefits, and other variations that have come up along the way. So how do we define connection and what sort of future are we looking at?

Scene 6: Ted Nugent and Tysha Khan. Photo: Bernie Ng.

Directed by the internationally renowned Phillip Zarrilli, Intercultural Theatre Institute‘s graduating cohort showcases a series of snapshots that look at urban Singapore life. The audience members glimpse into the moments of eight characters, and journey through a range of emotions that usually leaves them with a bittersweet taste in their mouths.

Scene 7:Nour El-Houda Essafi (a.k.a. Yiseong) delivers her ‘Ted Talk’. Photo Bernie Ng.

The play starts with frantic music with an overwhelming pulsing beat, as the text on the background so succinctly describes. The ensemble of actors start moving in staccato, jerking their stiff bodies towards the centre of the performance space. The more frantic the music becomes, the more their bodies embody it by moving in spasms and broken up movements. Moving in the dim lights, it reminded me of a club night where numbers do not mean anything and the bodies around you can be strange, detached and alone.

Is this a foreshadowing of some sort? Before I can decide, the first scene begins on a pavement as the lights and music fade away. The scenes follow one after another, with consistent transitions of movement and gesture in between. After a while, it all seem so much like clockwork, repetition, with only the music influencing the pace and atmosphere of the movement. Is this another commentary on the routine we subject ourselves to, and the complacency in which we settle through our apps and transient relationships? I have no clue, and honestly the transitions do not do much for me although I can identify certain references of everyday gesture.

Jin Chen, who plays an independent artist and filmmaker, is strong in her portrayal although certain edges could be softened to invite the audience in. Her voice crisp and commanding, her stage presence draws you to her like a moth to a flame. I particularly enjoy the scene she shares with fellow actor Ted Nudgent Fernandez Tac-An — her eyes boring into his being, stalking the stage with lethal grace and her endless self-assuredness on full display for all to see. I believe her and all that she embodies, and is left curious as to who exactly is this woman and how did she become this way?

Other notable performances include Earnest Hope Tinambacanand Nour El Houda Essafi a.k.a. Yiseong. Their shifts from power and dominance to softness a pleasure to watch.

Scene 7: Yiseong and Tysha Khan. Photo: Bernie Ng.

Lie With Me is clever in its dialogue, and the layers of meaning it tries to unravel as the conversations wears on. Poetic and poignant, the language sits beautifully as subtitles, my eyes savouring every word and phrasing. However, some words feel slightly clumsy voiced out and if these scenes are said to take place in Singapore, then I question its language use. Technicalities aside, the text offers questions with no answers for the search is left to the audience members’ choice: to take home and mull over.

Scene 8: Yiseong and Hope. Photo Bernie Ng.

Then as it all begins, the actors come back for a final moment of floating in the air and struggling to reach for something. A connection, maybe, or to find their way back to the core of who they individually are. Lived moments and a whole journey later, still alone and strangers to one another.

Photography credits: Bernie Ng

http://popspoken.com/arts/2019/11/lie-with-me

Epilogue: entire cast.

AND SUDDENLY I DISAPPEAR by Kaite O'Reilly. Directed by Phillip Zarrilli

Above: Grace Khoo, Ramesh Meyyappan and Peter Sau in ‘Don’t Steal my Voice’ from AND SUDDENLY I DISAPPEAR by Kaite O’Reilly (Singapore performance).

PRODUCTION CONTEXT:

In 2017 Kaite O’Reilly received an Unlimited International Commission to create a new series of monologues with partners in Singapore—lead artist, Peter Sau, along with our co-producers, Access Path Productions (Nat Lim and Grace Khoo). Based on extensive interviews with Deaf and disabled individuals in both Singapore and the UK, Kaite O’Reilly authored a series of fictional monologues that became “a dialogue of difference and diversity”. I directed the world premiere of the Singapore version of AND SUDDENLY I DISAPPEAR with a wonderful group of Singaporean/UK actors at the Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore, 27-27 May, 2018, with a special live-streamed performance on Saturday 26 May to partner audiences in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taipei. To see a trailer visit (2018): https://vimeo.com/user60159874/andsuddenlyidisappear

To view the live-streamed full Singapore production hosted at HowlRound, visit:

http://howlround.com/livestreaming-performance-of-and-suddenly-i-disappear-the-singapore-d-monologues-by-kaite-oreilly

Danial Bawtham in a ‘monologue rap’ onstage in Singapore.

UK PERFORMANCES

The UK premiere performances took place 5-6 September, 2018, at the Southbank Centre, London, as part of the UNLIMITED FESTIVAL, and then tours through 12 September to Oxford, Leicester, and Cardiff. The UK production was co-produced by The Llanarth Group with Access Path Productions, Singapore.

                                                            PERFORMERS (UK versio

On-stage ensemble:           Sara Beer, Grace Khoo, Macsen McKay, Ramesh Meyyappan,

Garry Robson, Peter Sau

 On video:                              Sophie Stone, Danial Bawtham, Stephanie Ester Fam, Lee Lee Lim

                                            CREATIVE/PRODUCTION TEAM              

Director & Executive Producer                  Phillip Zarrilli

Visual Language Director                          Ramesh Meyyappan

Associate Producers:                                  Natalie Lim, Grace Khoo

Lighting Designer:                                       Dorothy Png

Co-sound Designers:                                 Danial Bawtham & Bani Haykal

Videographers:                                            James Khoo & Paul Whittaker

Stage Manager:                                           Katie Bingham

About the world premiere in Singapore:

‘…Just like water, And Suddenly I Disappearis renewal; its representations are fluid and its diversity is refreshing. And just as in water, it promises to make more waves…. a call for the redefinition of disability and how it is viewed in society…. Striking…’  www.centre42.sg

‘…from frank to funny to downright dark, the production expanded the notion of ‘normal.”  Singapore Straits Times

The ‘d’ Monologues by Kaite O’Reilly is published by Oberon Books (London) and is released in association with the UK premiere of And Suddenly I Disappear (www.oberonbooks.com).

UK Reviews and links for AND SUDDENLY I DISAPPEAR

WALES ARTS REVIEW

DATE: 11.09.18  WRITTEN BY: PHIL MORRIS  POSTED IN: REVIEWS, PERFORMING ARTS

 THEATRE | AND SUDDENLY I DISAPPEAR

‘Can I risk revealing myself?’ The urgency and anxiety of that question lies at the heart of Kaite O’Reilly’s And Suddenly I Disappear, in which the social and emotional vulnerabilities of individuals within marginalised communities are examined with disarming frankness and biting wit. O’Reilly’s fictional ‘d’ monologues, inspired by interviews with people in the UK and Singapore, explores the politics of identity beyond the abstractions of liberal hand-wringing. Her radical insight is that what truly disables a person is not necessarily any physical impairment or mental health challenge they might have, but the wilful ignorance, fearful hostility and patronising attitudes of a societal mainstream that would rather erase, forget or smooth-over difference, than accept it is an essential marker of the human condition.

During an impassioned, provocative and constantly stimulating production; O’Reilly and director Phillip Zarilli join the technical crew on stage, in full view of the audience, to operate multimedia equipment and facilitate accessibility. This stripped-down stage aesthetic self-consciously lays bare the mechanics of theatrical representation, and reminds the audience throughout of the fictiveness of storytelling. This is no mere post-modernist game; understanding the processes of manufacturing and controlling narratives is crucial to interpreting these monologues. They each hinge on a question of power – the ability to tell your story is, after all, having the power to determine how you are perceived by others. At the very least, it is the power to frame the discussion about your public self. The clear intent of And Suddenly I Disappear is to make visible those who have been made invisible within two prosperous nations, the UK and Singapore, whose technological advancements appear to run counter to certain regressive tendencies inside each country with regard to difference. The play also aims to make visible those excluded from the histories of both countries, which are bound together by the legacy of imperialism.

In one monologue, the quietly compelling Grace Koo recounts the history of an elderly Singaporean woman who was disabled as a result of the intense rigours of manual labour she undertook for her colonial British masters. Over decades of literally back-breaking work, the woman’s spine was malformed by the sheer physical weight of imperialism. She’s poignantly described as “one of the disabled ancestors our city is built on.” In this instance, disability isn’t simply a question of biological accident, it is a product of political and racist oppression. One of the many points of interest in O’Reilly’s ‘d’ monologues, is the manner in which various aspects of difference; disability, gender, sexuality, culture and ethnicity, are shown to be interrelated rather than separate and distinct – as one often finds in the tick-boxes of an equal opportunities form. A recurring theme throughout And Suddenly I Disappear, is how a relentless push for economic growth produces a materialist, consumer-driven society that grows fixated on homogeneity and conformity rather than plurality and diversity.

Economy of language and a deceptively simple, pared-down theatrical style are hallmarks of O’Reilly and Zarilli’s work. Lyricism is restrained, sentimentality is eschewed, and the poetics of word and image are austere. The dogged survival of generations of disabled people in the face of debilitating prejudice, both contemporary and historical, is likened to a river that “does not stop…always finding a way to go on.” What makes the work of the Llanarth Group so exciting, however, is their intellectual audacity coupled with sophisticated storytelling. Like many writers of her adoptive country, O’Reilly tackles topical social issues with indignant ire and compassion. But what makes her an important writer is that she does so with a fierce intelligence that has more than sufficient wattage to illuminate the big ideas.

The multiplicity of languages through which these ideas are discussed in And Suddenly I Disappear provides an extra layer of complexity. In addition to English and sign-language, Mandarin and Cantonese is spoken, and all dialogue is simultaneously projected in written form. Moreover, there are sections of the play in which words are provided as audio descriptions to accompany non-verbal scenes. One particularly moving example, features an unnamed man (played by Ramesh Meyyappan) who discovers the joys of expressing himself through signing, only for him to be slowly and painfully silenced by the intervention of two people who physically restrain his hands. Throughout these ‘d’ monologues, the hegemony and predominance of both the English language and the spoken word is frequently disrupted and challenged, so that we catch a glimpse of what a future might look like in which modes of communication are manifold and diverse. Zarilli’s commendably precise direction ensure that such polyphony and the interplay of ideas enlightens rather than confuses.

And Suddenly I Disappear demands that difference be celebrated and valued and not merely tolerated. It is at times bracingly impolite and savagely funny. Sara Beer is particularly impressive in these comic moments, delighting with an impression of a Chihuahua being whisked through town in a basket on a bicycle’s handlebars, or demonstrating nifty footwork with a few dance steps. The ensemble, however, is the star of the show; its chorus of different voices; Welsh and Asian-accented, speaking Mandarin/Cantonese, or Pidgin English, or sign-language, establishes a unity of medium and message for the production. Macsen McKay, making an impressively poised professional debut, embodies the cosy, well-meaning condescension of an able-bodied Welsh Nan; while Peter Sau portrays, with satirical relish, an egotistical actor ‘researching’ the lives of disabled people for a part he’s about to play.

O’Reilly recently published a collection of her works titled, Atypical Plays for Atypical Actors, and the audience at this year’s Unlimited Festival on London’s Southbank was appropriately atypical, with disabled people making up an appropriately large percentage of its number. The lived experiences related in O’Reilly’s ‘d’ monologues will no doubt have resonated with many in that audience, but that isn’t to suggest that her work will speak only to those in the disabled communities. These stories of difference – insisting on the visibility, and the reality, of people who have been ignored for millennia, and who are currently being ‘inabled’ by societal attitudes – will certainly have a particular relevance and importance for the disabled. Yet as explorations of difference, the ‘d’ monologues have a wider significance for those in society’s mainstream, they examine what it is to be disabled but they might inform everyone as to what it is to be human.

Kaite O’Reilly And Suddenly I Disappear: The Singapore/UK ‘d’ Monologues

September 8, 2018 by Joe Turnbull

‘And Suddenly I Disappear: The Singapore/UK ‘d’ Monologues’ written by Kaite O’Reilly is the result of a collaboration between teams of Deaf and disabled practitioners from both the UK and Singapore, funded by Unlimited (delivered by Shape and Artsadmin). It played Southbank Centre 5 and 6 September as part of Unlimited Festival. Review by Joe Turnbull.

Language is universal. It may be written, spoken or signed, but all cultures are constructed and mediated through language. And Suddenly I Disappear…crams in more languages than the latest Google Translate update. There’s English, Welsh, Mandarin, British Sign Language, Singaporean Sign Language and a splash of calligraphy, too. Languages act as a cultural signifier but also create barriers between cultures.

What O’Reilly seems to be subtly suggesting, by conjuring stories of disabled and Deaf experience from two ends of the earth – through this delicious cocktail of languages – that whilst not quite universal, there are many aspects of disabled experience which transcend borders, cultures and generations. That disabled and Deaf experiences are valuable but all-too-often overlooked aspects of the human condition.

And Suddenly I Disappear…is a series of fictionalised monologues inspired by the lived experiences of Deaf and disabled people in the UK and Singapore gathered by O’Reilly and her Singaporean collaborators Grace Khoo and Peter Sau, who both also star in the production alongside Ramesh Meyyappan (also Singaporean but based in the UK), Garry Robson, Sara Beer and Macsen McKay. Sophie Stone, Danial Bawthan, Stephanie Fam and Lee Lee Lim also appear as filmed projections from time to time.

Every single member of the cast shines like a constellation of disparate stars, sometimes in unison but not always in harmony. As a collection of monologues, the interaction between characters is minimal. A recurring theme is the invisibility of disabled and Deaf people across cultures and on multiple levels. The lack of interaction on stage amplifies the sense that these characters are invisible.

The only meaningful interaction (besides occasional asides for interpretation purposes) comes in a harrowing act where Meyyappen’s signing character is repeatedly ‘silenced’ by Khoo and Sau, just as he discovers the joys of visual language. By clamping his hands at his sides, he is thrown into an ocean of darkness, with no way to communicate. It’s not done in a physically aggressive way, yet feels like a heinous act of violence.

The use of both spoken and physical languages affords O’Reilly the opportunity to probe the bounds of the monologue. Some are highly abstract. Others deeply personal. Many are hilarious in exposing the absurdity of the ableist gaze of pity and condescension. The whole mess of life is on display.

But despite light moments, mostly provided by the understated comic brilliance of Beer, the overall feeling leaves us in no doubt as to how both Singaporean and UK societies have wrought unbearable cruelty on the Deaf and disabled community. In one monologue, Khoo speaks of how disabled babies were ‘left in the jungle’ by aunties, telling euphemistic tales that they had been sent to lovely care homes, for their own good. Several of the characters in this production won’t take these affronts lying down.

O’Reilly has obsessed with the form of the monologue for years, long before her 2012 play, In Water I’m Weightless,which used the same premise. Working within such strict parameters but keeping it as poignant and entertaining as And Suddenly I Disappear… requires immense creativity both in writing and dramaturgically.

But setting limits does restrict. I longed to see some of these characters collide. What would happen if Robson’s fiercely proud English patriot who thinks disabled people should harness some of that English stiff-upper-lip attitude met Sau’s magnetic Singaporean businessman who excels by closeting his difference?

Eschewing plot also asks for a huge investment from the audience in order to keep their attention. There is no character development or story arc to pull you along. This is the nature of experimental work, but as it was, this incarnation of And Suddenly I Disappear…was probably about two or three monologues too long.

There were several monologues that ended with a bang and the resonating hum of recognition from the audience was almost palpable. One of these moments would have arguably made the most suitable ending.

Nevertheless, the masterful artistry and integrity of this production cannot be questioned. It is rare to see a production which wears its disability politics so flagrantly on its sleeve and still stands up as a piece of art. Of norms, of preconceived notions of disability, of dramaturgical orthodoxy and most of all, of ableist notions of normalcy – this production is radically defiant.

And Suddenly I Disappear: The Singapore/UK ‘d’ Monologues is at The Old Fire Station, Oxford on 8 September, Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester on 9 September and Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff on 11-12 September.

http://disabilityarts.online/magazine/opinion/kaite-oreilly-and-suddenly-i-disappear-the-singapore-uk-d-monologues/

SEPTEMBER 8, 2018BY IAN

Review: And Suddenly I Disappear – The Singapore/UK ‘d’ Monologues, Southbank Centre

The much-needed refreshing take on what it means to be disabled – And Suddenly I Disappear – The Singapore/UK ‘d’ Monologues illuminates the Southbank Centre ahead of a short tour

“There is no dis in my ability”

Honest conversations about disability are difficult to have. Just looking at the range of responses to last week’s announcement of a non-disabled actor taking the lead in the BBC’s new production of The Elephant Man (take a glimpse at the comments on this article, just a quick one mind, the soul can only take so much…) indicates the scale of the problem but also, crucially, how few people really see it as that much of an issue, the systemic way in which disabled people are othered in society. 

Someone who does get it is playwright Kaite O’Reilly, whose And Suddenly I Disappear – The Singapore/UK ‘d’ Monologues (the first multilingual, intercultural, Deaf and disability-led theatre project created between the UK and Singapore doncha know!) plays the Southbank Centre as part of their Unlimited Festival. A set of fictional monologues that start a conversation about difference, about disability, by presenting the huge gulf in perception between actual lived experience and what societal conditioning tells you it is.

So a monologue entitled ‘Can’t Do’ spins off in a wonderfully unexpected direction by confounding expectation, another emerges as a visceral rant against those who wear the label ‘disabled’ too lightly, and clichés about macramé and basket-weaving are wittily skewered, more than once. This is done in a variety of media (spoken, visual, projected), in a variety of languages (English, Mandarin, Welsh, British Sign Language and Singapore Sign Language), and pulled together with a real theatrical flourish by director and executive producer Phillip Zarrilli.

The cumulative power of these pieces amounts to something really quite considerable, a dark vein of humour making way for something more thought-provoking, that shakes up some of those presumptions that we all carry. And you can’t help but bristle with frustration at the depth of talent that just isn’t being given the opportunities by mainstream culture to break through to become the bankable names that society apparently demands in order to lead major projects. Until then, we should be grateful that powerful, convention-defying work like this is being produced.

https://www.oughttobeclowns.com/2018/09/review-and-suddenly-i-disappear-the-singapore-uk-d-monologues-southbank-centre.html/

FOR ADDITIONAL REVIEWS visit:

Arts Scene in Wales review:

https://www.asiw.co.uk/reviews/and-suddenly-i-disappear-the-singapore-u-k-d-monologues-chapter

Love London Love Culture review:

https://lovelondonloveculture-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/lovelondonloveculture.com/2018/09/06/review-and-suddenly-i-disappear-unlimited-festival-southbank-centre/amp/?amp_js_v=0.1&usqp=mq331AQGCAEoATgA#origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk&prerenderSize=1&visibilityState=prerender&paddingTop=54&p2r=0&horizontalScrolling=0&csi=1&aoh=15365691106513&viewerUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Famp%2Fs%2Flovelondonloveculture.com%2F2018%2F09%2F06%2Freview-and-suddenly-i-disappear-unlimited-festival-southbank-centre%2Famp%2F&history=1&storage=1&cid=1&cap=swipe%2CnavigateTo%2Ccid%2Cfragment%2CreplaceUrl

RICHARD III REDUX [or] 'Sara Beer [is/not] richard III'

richard III redux premiered at Chapter Arts Centre with performances 08-17 March, and touring to venues in Wales through 23 March (2018) including Aberystwyth Arts Centre, The Torch Theatre, Theatr Clwyd, and Small World Theatre. Internationally known playwright Kaite O'Reilly--working with Phillip Zarrilli (the director/researcher)--conceptualized and wrote richard III redux specifically for Sara Beer as a one woman performance that would allow Sara to take centre stage.  The production played to enthusiastic audiences across the length and breadth of Wales. The production is now available for further performances on tour.

PLAYWRIGHT/DRAMATURG: Kaite O'Reilly

PERFORMER: Sara Beer

DIRECTOR: Phillip Zarrilli

VIDEOGRAPHY: Paul Whittaker

SET/COSTUME DESIGN: Deryn Tudor

LIGHTING DESIGN: Joe Fletcher

SOUND DESIGN: Sam Jones

STAGE MANAGER: Jacqui George

PRESS/MARKETING: Nia Jones

Photo montage: Paul Whittaker

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT richard III redux:

Arts Scene in Wales: ‘…unpredictable… evokes laughter and reflection in equal measure…intimate…witty…ingenious…commanding and nuanced…thought provoking…uncompromisingly funny…great power and impact…brave…’

British Theatre Guide: ‘…a bold, informative, occasionally traumatic, and irreverently amusing 70 minutes of theatre.’

The Stage: ‘an incendiary look at the lack of inclusivity in theatre.’

Wales Critics Fund review (5*): ‘dynamite theatre… an absorbing exercise in personal insight, humour, pathos and historical amendments’.

Theatre Wales Review: ‘Sara Beer’s Richard is…captivating…confirmed by the loud, loving, standing ovation…’

Disability Arts Onliine Magazine: ‘Sara Beer is ‘really funny. I mean, very, very funny…[she] has…oodles and oodles of on-stage charm. Audiences love her, whether she’s sending herself up as a would-be diva or revealing her younger self. This audience was no exception, laughing one moment and then the next hanging on her every word… go and see it. You won’t regret it.’

Wales Arts Review:  ‘…Redux is a strong piece of work… Redux is full of grenades…dropped with disarming gentility by Beer….Beer is…charming and erudite, extremely good company…a damning indictment of an industry that actively discourages disabled actors from entering…’

Sara Beer in richard III redux: 'Stories at Nan's' (panopticphotography]

WHAT AUDIENCES Said ABOUT richard III redux:

[Following are unsolicited comments/posts/tweets by a wide variety of people from our audiences in Wales]

#RichardIIIRedux @sarabeer_ may or may not be Richard but I can tell you one thing - she is absolutely extraordinary in this production which is quietly groundbreaking & turns so many things upside down. It's also funny. Very, very funny. @kaiteoreilly 

Small world theatre tweet
Thank you dear people for coming this evening and loving Richard III Redux. Tomorrow we will wake thinking about tonight's fantastic, bold performance by @sarabeer_ brilliantly written & directed by @kaiteoreilly Phillip Zarilli of the Llanarth Group.

Kully Tiara (Artistic Director, National Theatre Wales): Just wanted to say what a delightful and thoughtful work that was. Sara was so brilliant. I hope you’ve all had a grand time making it and that it’s the recognition it deserves.

Rhian Davies Disability Wales
Congratulations @sarabeer_ @kaiteoreilly & all on funny & incisive performance, script & production.  Cleverly exposes how theatrical conventions & societal attitudes reinforce stereotypes about what is deemed to be the 'right body' #richardiiiredux

Carri Munn
Wishing @kaiteoreilly @sarabeer_ a wonderful time tonight for #richardiiiredux What a fabulous show. Go see @theatrbydbychan

The opening of richard III redux.

MORE COMMENTS:

Taking Flight theatre co:
‘A tour de force’

Ben Pettit wade (hi jinx theatre)
Really enjoyed @sarabeer_ in @kaiteoreilly #richardiiiredux tonight @chaptertweets lovely performance - thoughtful, questioning, a little bit angry but with some great comic moments - congrats to all and good luck with rest of the tour!

@vonderfecht :
Saw the show at @ClwydTweets tonight. Funny, frank, moving and thought-provoking. Brilliant theatre.

@dadafest:
'Laughter and reflection in equal measure'...we couldn't agree more. Well done to all involved in the making of Richard III redux. DaDaFest had a fantastic evening last night @ClwydTweets

@pixieglas
Loved this @chaptertweets on the weekend. @sarabeer_ absolutely amazing. Try to catch it wherever you are.

@belbluemusic
Intimate Moving Funny & thought provoking-so glad we went to see #richardiiiredux Fantastic We loved it @sarabeer_ @kaiteoreilly @chaptertweets #llanarthgroup

Sara reflects on the Battle of Bosworth...[panopticphotos]

MORE COMMENTS:

@madeinroath2018
Congratulations @kaiteoreilly & @sarabeer_  on a powerful, moving, funny & profound take on richard III.Sara Beer is brilliant, go & see it!

Kelly Jones @KMJWriter
Saw #RichardIIIRedux @chaptertweets last night! Wow! You MUST SEE IT!! @sarabeer_ may not be #RichardIII but she is the #Queen of stage presence and craft! A stunning performance in a funny yet incredibly poignant show! Well done all @kaiteoreilly @sarabeer_ An utter joy to watch

@weepingtudor
"Justifiably outstanding" 5 stars for richard III redux. Amazing @sarabeer_ & snazzy script by @kaiteoreilly Shows @chaptertweets & on Welsh tour. A MUST SEE.

Poet and wales children’s poet laureate Sophie McKeand: I am so delighted we saw your play - I felt it was deeply layered and multifaceted and brought to life with real wit and verve by the outstanding Sarah Beer. 

From Annabelle: Cathy and I came along tonight and were captivated. You had us in the palm of your hand and we were enthralled. A tour de force,  beautiful piece of work exquisitely performed. A lovely evening, thank you!

Jane Lloyd Fancis: Cathy and I came along tonight and were captivated. You had us in the palm of your hand and we were enthralled. A tour de force,  beautiful piece of work exquisitely performed. A lovely evening, thank you!

Marion Moulton (Richard IIIrd Society): Tonight was absolutely brilliant. Funny, clever and different. Thought Sara's feat of memory amazing. NAN sounds a character. Is she fictitious or was she truly Sara's Grandma? This play should go country wide. 

Deaf poet: Hope the tour goes great. I really enjoyed the play and got into it, it makes a lot of good points while being funny - one of the things I like about your work. Sara was so convincing I told her I loved her Nan then asked her if the Nan was fictional... :) Really appreciated the captioning and thought it was well done.

Ebba at Aber: Thank you SO much for yesterday!! I went and saw Richard III and absolutely loved it!!  I study theatre and creative writing in Aber. I've been acting since I was 15 and recently I've started to doubt myself as an actor, mainly because I feel like I'm getting nowhere in my "career". watching your performance made me rethink an I remembered why I love acting so much. Your performance was so funny and insightful! It made me think of my childhood and teachers who've said: "I don't think you can become an actor, it's not a good idea." As well as family who doesn't really take it seriously. THANK YOU for making me rethink and remember why I want to be an actor as well as making me laugh! Good luck with the rest of the performances.

Fair Acre Press: It was brilliant Kaite!! Tell Sara she was amazing and engaging funny, thoughtful What an extraordinary play! and we had the richard 3 society in front of us - she kept nodding and talking vigorously when the books came up etc - it really added to it and was so wonderful to witness their reaction .. REAL people :) or at least people from a different part of society...

for further information, contact phillip zarrillI, the llanarth group.