Icon Theatre, a Kent based, national touring company producing physical and visual theatre, come to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time to premiere their brand new production, RELEASE, at the Pleasance Dome (Kingdome) from 3- 29 August 2011.
At a time when two thirds of UK prisoners are said to re-offend within two years and when prison sentencing, probation and rehabilitation are facing controversial reforms, Release fuses high-energy physical theatre, an original score and mixed media to create an explosive yet moving insight into just how hard it is to go straight.
Six weeks after release, three ex-prisoners struggle on the outside as they attempt to reconnect with the people and the remnants of life they left behind. Kyle searches for work but finds offers from old friends more and more tempting; Hitesh cuts himself off from friends and family and dreams of the open road; while Becky has lied about her past and lives in constant fear of being found out.
In this fast paced and grittily contemporary production, the spoken word highlights the everyday problems facing ex-offenders in Britain’s 21st century society, while fluid and heightened movement delves beneath the surface to the deeper psychological scars that cause continuously negative patterns of behaviour.
The talented cast of three multi-role playing actors includes Shane Shambhu (Ramanujan in Complicite’s A Disappearing Number) and Verity Hewlett (Queen Victoria in Queen Victoria’s Men, Channel 4 & New Perspectives).
For the production of Release Icon Theatre has pulled together a creative team including Mamoru Iriguchi – Designer (London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2009 Winner for Mincemeat, Cardboard Citizens), Nancy Hirst – Director (Young Vic, Yvonne Arnaud & Soho Theatre) and Ola Animashawun – Script Mentor (Associate Director of the Royal Court Theatre & Head of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme), Steve Kirkham who collaborated as Movement Director during the development process (choreographer of Klub and Zero for Frantic Assembly, The Hanging Man for Improbable; and a long term collaborator with both Matthew Bourne and The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs)
The production has been created by the company through a two year process of research and interviews with ex-offenders, prisoners, probation officers, criminologists and hostel managers, as well as site visits to hostels, prisons and probation offices.
The project has had development support from the South Hill Park Arts Centre, the Pleasance Theatre, the Brook Theatre, the Toynbee Studios, an R&D award from Arts Council England South East and a work-in-progress showing at the Young Vic.
Listings Information:
Venue: Pleasance Dome (Kingdome) (venue number 23)
Dates: Wednesday 03 to Monday 29 August 2011 (not Wednesdays – 10,17,24 August) / Previews 03 – 05 August
Performance Times: 14:00 / duration 75 minutes
Ticket Prices: Previews 03 – 05 Aug – £5
8, 9 Aug: 2-4-1 Day – £10
11, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23 25, 29, Aug – £10
6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 Aug – £11
Box Office:
http://www.pleasance.co.uk
T: +44 (0)131 556 6550
http://www.edfringe.com
T: +44 (0)131 226 0000
