HERO - at the Leicester Square Theatre

At last! The time is almost here! Our 3 week run opens in just 12 days! HERO -the show we have been working on and rehearsing since October last year- comes to the Leicester Square Theatre for a 3 week run at the end of February! 

Théâtre Libre presents:

 HERO

Paul Sockett, Jan Kumah, Mark Lee, Rebekah Roe in HERO at Tristan Bates 2013

 Written by Laura Bess Jernigan

Co-Directed by Jo Bunnell-Thompson and Kaitlin Argeaux

Movement by Justyna Ziarek

 “Every choice has a cost...”

Long ago the gypsies were visited by Hero, and each year since they come together to celebrate and tell her tale - so that it may never be forgotten...
So come in! Gather round on this All Hero's Eve! Hear the legend of the HERO...and what happened to her after she saved the world.

 Using movement, dance, and live music, we spin a mythical tale of adventure and sacrifice – exploring what it means to be a HERO.

 At the Leicester Square Theatre

6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BX

 25 February – 15 March 2014

Tuesday-Saturday (No Monday/Sunday performances, no matinees)

19:00

Running time is approximately 90 minutes

Appropriate for children aged 10+ (some fight scenes may be too intense for young children)

Jan Kumah as Guide - HERO at the Tristan Bates 2013

Tickets are £14/12 available now

Ticketing telephone: 08448472475

http://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com

Direct link to book tickets: http://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873506233/events

*booking fees apply*

Previews 25, 26 February 2014 (Tickets £10)

Press Night: 27 February 2014 (to reserve tickets/request to review please email us at theatrelibre@outlook.com)

Paul Sockett, Mark Lee, Rebekah Roe in HERO - Tristan Bates 2013

Below are some rehearsal photos - I am so excited about this show. It's our first full-length new-writing venture and is so different from anything we have done. It includes live music, combat, dance, movement, and comedy! Don't miss it- Book now! 

Gypsy dance in the marketplace - movement by Justyna Ziarek

Poet (Thom Short) with violin and dancers, Rat  (Josie Beth Davies, Miranda Colmans, and Mark Lee)

HERO image courtesy of Dominik Piatek, poster formatting by Dior Designs. 
Performance photographs courtesy of Rachael Ryan

Can you be our HERO?

Hello! It's been awhile since our last post but we have loads to update you about! Firstly, we have managed to cast the most amazingly talented actors in our production of HERO and rehearsals are well under way. We have rehearsed with our movement director Justyna, met with our costume designer Shoni Wilkinson and seen some outstanding sketches, listened to music to get inspired with our musician Roi Erez, and recently hired our wonderful set designer Rachael Ryan. We are so excited about being a part of the Women In Arts Festival, we are hard at work to do the script justice. 

In addition, we are also fundraising...a necessary part of any fringe production. Can you be our HERO? Can you help us out and show your support for Women In the Arts? It's easy! Here are 2 dead simple ways to get involved:

1. Attend our first ever FITNESS FUNDRAISER! This takes place on Friday November 15th and tickets cost only £10. Suitable for all fitness levels, we will have Zumba with our movement director Justyna, some Body Blitz with our guest instructor Donna Kissi of Kisfitness (http://kiscampfitness.com/) and Bar Concept (a combination of pilates, yoga, and ballet) with our other guest instructor Wojtek. 3 classes for only a tenner! Bargain! Please see details in our flyer below and book tickets in advance here: 

http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/83933

2. If fitness isn't your thing, or you live too far away to attend, there is always the option to donate on our crowdfunding campaign over at Buzzbnk.org. We chose Buzzbnk as opposed to some other more popular crowdfunding sites because of their emphasis on community spirit and encouraging positive change.  To donate -no amount too small!- please visit our campaign page here: 

https://www.buzzbnk.org/ProjectDetails.aspx?projectId=137

As always, thank you all for your continued love and support! Watch this space for updates on the show....  

It's Rude To Stare.....

As we near the ten day countdown - ten days until our show opens!- we are rehearsing longer and harder than ever in preparation. With the devising process mostly behind us, lines memorized,  and costumes sorted - we turn now to the RUNS.  Full runs, tech runs, dress runs; you name it! So it comes at a perfect time that "It's Rude To Stare" have written a feature about our show; The Dagger and White Lily.  For those of you not in the know "It's Rude To Stare" is an online lifestyle guide; a one stop site for all the best events, restaurants, gigs, bars, arts and culture going down in the city. With a stunning layout and lots of visuals, there is a definite emphasis on the arts and we love it! 
For the full feature, please click HERE.  
Big THANK YOU to Ahmed Elmi for the article.  

Images are the property of "It's Rude To Stare"  itsrudetostare.com 

Interview with The Space!

The Space interviewed Justyna Ziarek - the company's movement director and who conceived the ideas behind The Dagger and White Lily - and Kaitlin Argeaux artistic director and co-director.  Read an excerpt here:

What are some of the challenges that a company faces when producing an original piece? How about the advantages?

I think any time you are producing an original piece, you struggle with marketing. Audiences seem to gravitate towards well known titles or stories they recognize, so it’s been a challenge for us with this show.

An advantage of producing an original piece is the sense of freedom you experience in the rehearsal room. In devising there is no linear path; we can take our time improvising and exploring. There can be more emphasis on the process, as opposed to just focusing on the outcome. This freedom also extends to the text. Thankfully our writer is not at all precious about her work and she is content for the script to be cut and altered in the rehearsal, as our characters grow and change.

What are the major concepts or themes that Theatre Libre is emphasizing in The Dagger and White Lily?

The Dagger and White Lily is an in-depth examination of the mind and body; how they are sometimes in unison, and other times in conflict. It will explore the human conditions of lust, obsession, brutality, and absolution.

How is the audience supposed to react to The Dagger and White Lily? What are they meant to take away from it?

That everything is not as obvious as it seems. We often label things as black and white or good or bad and it is not always the case. Everything changes and so do our perceptions, thoughts, likes and dislikes, etc. If we don’t take control over our mind, we might end up in a very dark place and only by hitting rock bottom we can begin to change for the better.

What was the driving force behind starting a physical theatre company?

I come from a background of dance and when I studied Meyerhold techniques in Moscow, it changed my entire perspective about acting. As Lecoq famously said, “…the body knows things about which the mind is ignorant” -so we let the body guide us. I was interested in taking classics and finding ways to reinterpret them with less text/more movement.

The Dagger and White Lily is told through dance, poetry, and live music. How challenging was it to create a cohesive production with these three elements?

I think it’s the idea of what comes first: the text, the music or the concept? When telling the story through different art forms it’s easy to sometimes rely just on text or music as it will dictate the rhythm, the style and the whole picture in your head (especially when it comes to music). On the other hand, when working with the movement, it can be a great support, especially if you’re struggling for new ideas.

What drew Theatre Libre to the Space?

We have always loved this venue and its sense of community. When we were looking for a place to put on The Dagger and White Lily, we immediately thought of The Space. The show has overtones of religion and spirituality and we think the Space – a converted church with high ceilings and stained glass- perfectly enhances the atmosphere we are striving to create. We also love how versatile the space itself is, with no fixed seating, the options are endless.

For the full interview, please click here: FULL INTERVIEW

Huge thanks to Adam Hemming, artistic director at The Space for taking the time to talk to us! 

The Dagger and White Lily rehearsals are under way!

Check out a couple rehearsal shots from our rehearsal last Saturday! We did some devising work before moving onto blocking with the script. As always, time is of the essence, but we think collaborative devising is so important...
Our show goes up at The Space in late July - click the link for more details and to book tickets!
https://space.org.uk/2013/03/22/the-dagger-and-white-lily-2/