Review of the 1st preview of Awkward Turtle Flips the Bird:
Theatre in Wales-
'Terry Victor, Notional Theatre’s Artistic Director and deviser of this presentation is obviously a man who loves words and playing with them. This close interest in words is illustrated by the fact that he has co-edited three dictionaries, comprehensive dictionaries of Slang. He describes his first intention with this production as a unique attempt to stage a dictionary but in fact there are very few words in this experimental work. The main methods of communication are gestures, some very familiar and some new ones that most people are not aware of. That bird flipping awkward turtle for instance. A curious image, on land turtles certainly look awkward creatures and flipping birds, well it might be possible but very unlikely. However an Awkward Turtle is gesture in which one hand is placed on top of the other with the fingers bent. It refers apparently to embarrassing or awkward circumstances. Flip the bird is the very well known single finger gesture that needs no explanation.
This is a well-finessed piece of work; Victor has brought many highly skilled and established professionals to aid him in this lively Chapter-partnered theatrical experiment. Earthfall’s Jessica Cohen, International fight director Cardiff -based Kevin McCurdy, music by Gareth Wyn Griffiths and many others. He has produced a sharp production and is served brilliantly by his actors who bring an imagination and commitment to the work that is of the finest quality. The three female actors in their simple black, Gemma Prangle, Victoria Tyrrell and Angharad Berrow are all very compelling, good fun and strike up a warm relationship with the audience. Lloyd Grayshon, a master magician character, presides with an endearing majesty.
There are three large wire cages in the three corners of the room; each member of the trio from time to time go into them, they become animated sculptures, dynamic museum displays. But it is out of the cage where they convey emotions and interact with the audience that they give us their most lively and engaging performances. Any experiment, by its nature is a work in progress and there are many directions this work could follow. As a work playing with lights, screens, cages, mechanical music and live actors it demonstrates that a theatrical experiment performed with a gentle flourish can be both interesting and exciting. '
Michael Kelligan, Theatre in Wales
Theatre in Wales-
'Terry Victor, Notional Theatre’s Artistic Director and deviser of this presentation is obviously a man who loves words and playing with them. This close interest in words is illustrated by the fact that he has co-edited three dictionaries, comprehensive dictionaries of Slang. He describes his first intention with this production as a unique attempt to stage a dictionary but in fact there are very few words in this experimental work. The main methods of communication are gestures, some very familiar and some new ones that most people are not aware of. That bird flipping awkward turtle for instance. A curious image, on land turtles certainly look awkward creatures and flipping birds, well it might be possible but very unlikely. However an Awkward Turtle is gesture in which one hand is placed on top of the other with the fingers bent. It refers apparently to embarrassing or awkward circumstances. Flip the bird is the very well known single finger gesture that needs no explanation.
This is a well-finessed piece of work; Victor has brought many highly skilled and established professionals to aid him in this lively Chapter-partnered theatrical experiment. Earthfall’s Jessica Cohen, International fight director Cardiff -based Kevin McCurdy, music by Gareth Wyn Griffiths and many others. He has produced a sharp production and is served brilliantly by his actors who bring an imagination and commitment to the work that is of the finest quality. The three female actors in their simple black, Gemma Prangle, Victoria Tyrrell and Angharad Berrow are all very compelling, good fun and strike up a warm relationship with the audience. Lloyd Grayshon, a master magician character, presides with an endearing majesty.
There are three large wire cages in the three corners of the room; each member of the trio from time to time go into them, they become animated sculptures, dynamic museum displays. But it is out of the cage where they convey emotions and interact with the audience that they give us their most lively and engaging performances. Any experiment, by its nature is a work in progress and there are many directions this work could follow. As a work playing with lights, screens, cages, mechanical music and live actors it demonstrates that a theatrical experiment performed with a gentle flourish can be both interesting and exciting. '
Michael Kelligan, Theatre in Wales
Follow @AwkTurtleFlips
Awkward Turtle Flips the Bird is a multi-media exploration of gestural slang as immersive theatre and gallery installation: physical-verbatim theatre, by turns playful, dark, romantic, surprising and dangerous, blending live action with documentary visuals in a series of free events throughout the afternoon and evening.
The Awkward Turtle Flips the Bird project is conceived and directed by Terry Victor with choreography by Rob McNeill. Hundreds of everyday gestures, familiar and fanciful, dance through their fractured narratives. This is thought to be the first time anyone has ever attempted to stage a dictionary…
The notion of staging some form of dictionary has challenged our Artistic Director for a number of years. The two main threads in his professional life are creative performance and slang linguistics - the gestural vocabulary of slang is where they meet and the sparks fly.
The initial idea was simply to develop an online moving-image glossary of slang gestures as a form of digital theatre. A loose form of AWKWARD TURTLE FLIPS THE BIRD was conceived and rehearsed in 5 days and performed in 15 minutes at the Weston Studio in November 2011; created in collaboration with dancer/choreographer, Rob McNeill, and developed under the aegis of the Incubator Project at WMC.
AWKWARD TURTLE FLIPS THE BIRD, now a full-length piece of multi-media physical-verbatim theatre and a one-on-one live-action installation, will be presented at Chapter Arts in Cardiff on June 22nd 2013
Notional Theatre’s ongoing development of gestural slang as a performance language - the literal digital choreography of our lives - is supported by the Arts Council of Wales.
Awkward Turtle Flips the Bird is a multi-media exploration of gestural slang as immersive theatre and gallery installation: physical-verbatim theatre, by turns playful, dark, romantic, surprising and dangerous, blending live action with documentary visuals in a series of free events throughout the afternoon and evening.
The Awkward Turtle Flips the Bird project is conceived and directed by Terry Victor with choreography by Rob McNeill. Hundreds of everyday gestures, familiar and fanciful, dance through their fractured narratives. This is thought to be the first time anyone has ever attempted to stage a dictionary…
The notion of staging some form of dictionary has challenged our Artistic Director for a number of years. The two main threads in his professional life are creative performance and slang linguistics - the gestural vocabulary of slang is where they meet and the sparks fly.
The initial idea was simply to develop an online moving-image glossary of slang gestures as a form of digital theatre. A loose form of AWKWARD TURTLE FLIPS THE BIRD was conceived and rehearsed in 5 days and performed in 15 minutes at the Weston Studio in November 2011; created in collaboration with dancer/choreographer, Rob McNeill, and developed under the aegis of the Incubator Project at WMC.
AWKWARD TURTLE FLIPS THE BIRD, now a full-length piece of multi-media physical-verbatim theatre and a one-on-one live-action installation, will be presented at Chapter Arts in Cardiff on June 22nd 2013
Notional Theatre’s ongoing development of gestural slang as a performance language - the literal digital choreography of our lives - is supported by the Arts Council of Wales.
Creative Team:
Terry Victor (artistic director/ consultant lexicographer]
Terry’s Twitter profile: actor, writer, director, lexicographer, story-teller, anti-censorship campaigner, political animal; married, bespectacled, mostly happy...
Follow @TheTerryVictor
Terry's Website Partridge Slang Online
Terry’s Twitter profile: actor, writer, director, lexicographer, story-teller, anti-censorship campaigner, political animal; married, bespectacled, mostly happy...
Follow @TheTerryVictor
Terry's Website Partridge Slang Online
Angharad Berrow (actress and film maker)
Caerphilly-based Angharad – the emerging face behind the finger - is a student filmmaker/actress who was part of the original Incubator project.
Caerphilly-based Angharad – the emerging face behind the finger - is a student filmmaker/actress who was part of the original Incubator project.
Jessica Cohen (tic-tac choreographer)
Trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance and was principal performer with Moving Being. She is co-artistic director of Earthfall which she co-founded with Jim Ennis who directed her second solo work.
http://www.earthfall.org.uk
Trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance and was principal performer with Moving Being. She is co-artistic director of Earthfall which she co-founded with Jim Ennis who directed her second solo work.
http://www.earthfall.org.uk
Richard Huw Morgan and John Rowley (performance makers)
John Rowley and Richard Huw Morgan have worked as professional performance makers in Wales since 1990, as key members of Brith Gof, Pearson/Brookes and as founders of Das Wunden and good cop bad cop. Their work has been characterised by a continuous willingness to experiment with both the form and content of performance practice.
http://www.culturecolony.com/profile/good-cop-bad-cop/info
John Rowley and Richard Huw Morgan have worked as professional performance makers in Wales since 1990, as key members of Brith Gof, Pearson/Brookes and as founders of Das Wunden and good cop bad cop. Their work has been characterised by a continuous willingness to experiment with both the form and content of performance practice.
http://www.culturecolony.com/profile/good-cop-bad-cop/info
Gemma Prangle (physical theatre performer/deviser)
Twitter profile: South Wales based performer striving for embarrassment on a daily basis.
Gemma has performed as an ensemble member in Frantic Assembly's 'Little Dogs' and recently performed with Cardiff based dance company Taikabox as part of this year's dance shorts.
Twitter profile: South Wales based performer striving for embarrassment on a daily basis.
Gemma has performed as an ensemble member in Frantic Assembly's 'Little Dogs' and recently performed with Cardiff based dance company Taikabox as part of this year's dance shorts.
Kevin McCurdy (fight choreographer)
Motto: “Work hard. Fight easy. Have fun.”
Kevin’s talents have graced the RSC, the Globe, TV and the movies. Check out his website for an inspiring CV.
http://www.kevinmccurdy.com
Motto: “Work hard. Fight easy. Have fun.”
Kevin’s talents have graced the RSC, the Globe, TV and the movies. Check out his website for an inspiring CV.
http://www.kevinmccurdy.com
Victoria Tyrrell (physical theatre performer/deviser)
Theatre credits include a national tour of a one-woman Music Hall comedy for Frantic Theatre, Sum Zero at the Hammersmith Lyric, The Audition at Barons Court and Future Cinema,
In the digital world Victoria presents Show Brazil on Sky 203's My Channel and SmartLive Casino on Sky 863 online virals and corporate documentaries,
Theatre credits include a national tour of a one-woman Music Hall comedy for Frantic Theatre, Sum Zero at the Hammersmith Lyric, The Audition at Barons Court and Future Cinema,
In the digital world Victoria presents Show Brazil on Sky 203's My Channel and SmartLive Casino on Sky 863 online virals and corporate documentaries,
Rob Wix MSc. (science communicator)
Scriptwriter, composer, educator and eco-friendly powerhouse who began his career at Techniquest, toured the science centres of Europe and founded the Sustainable Science organisation of which he is creative director.
www.sustainablescience.org.uk
twitter.com/sustainablesci
facebook.com/SustainableScienceUK
Scriptwriter, composer, educator and eco-friendly powerhouse who began his career at Techniquest, toured the science centres of Europe and founded the Sustainable Science organisation of which he is creative director.
www.sustainablescience.org.uk
twitter.com/sustainablesci
facebook.com/SustainableScienceUK
Melanie Jones, British Sign Language tutor PGCE
'Being involved in this project [Awkward Turtle Flips the Bird] allows me to teach the actors involved some sign language and also allows me to explore and express the creative side of the language. I am very passionate about teaching BSL and this theatre production will help show that we all use gestures in everyday language. Unpicking the meaning of these gestures and signs is a very interesting concept to me.'
'Being involved in this project [Awkward Turtle Flips the Bird] allows me to teach the actors involved some sign language and also allows me to explore and express the creative side of the language. I am very passionate about teaching BSL and this theatre production will help show that we all use gestures in everyday language. Unpicking the meaning of these gestures and signs is a very interesting concept to me.'
Rob McNeill (choreographer)
Rob McNeill is continuing the physical exploration that began during the Incubator project.
He trained at Laban. His credits include productions for the National Theatre and Punchdrunk. He has also curated a number of large-scale multi-arts events.
He and Terry Victor first worked together as devisor-performers in Punchdrunk’s acclaimed production of Masque of the Red Death in 2008.
Rob McNeill is continuing the physical exploration that began during the Incubator project.
He trained at Laban. His credits include productions for the National Theatre and Punchdrunk. He has also curated a number of large-scale multi-arts events.
He and Terry Victor first worked together as devisor-performers in Punchdrunk’s acclaimed production of Masque of the Red Death in 2008.
Gareth Wyn Griffiths (composer)
Gareth Wyn Griffiths composed the music for Notional Theatre’s Fragments of Ash and Anissia. Gareth works widely as composer, arranger, musical director and actor-musician.
www.garethwyngriffiths.com
Bridal Dance
Bridal Dance
End Sequence
End Sequence
Gareth Wyn Griffiths composed the music for Notional Theatre’s Fragments of Ash and Anissia. Gareth works widely as composer, arranger, musical director and actor-musician.
www.garethwyngriffiths.com
Bridal Dance
Bridal Dance
End Sequence
End Sequence
Lloyd Grayshon (AV design/interaction)
An E15-trained actor with a talent for the creative application of AV.
Lloyd Grayshon was recently nominated for ‘The Young Critics Award for ‘Best Digital Design’ for the Mappa Mundi/Torch Theatre production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which he also appeared as ‘Snug the Joiner’ and ‘First Fairy’.
www.cardiffshowreels.co.uk
An E15-trained actor with a talent for the creative application of AV.
Lloyd Grayshon was recently nominated for ‘The Young Critics Award for ‘Best Digital Design’ for the Mappa Mundi/Torch Theatre production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which he also appeared as ‘Snug the Joiner’ and ‘First Fairy’.
www.cardiffshowreels.co.uk
Visual Influence (documentary)
Visual Influence is Cardiff film-makers Chris and Rich: their web site says more about them than a short biog ever could:
Visual Influence
Visual Influence is Cardiff film-makers Chris and Rich: their web site says more about them than a short biog ever could:
Visual Influence
Rehearsal Pictures
“Electrifying, intelligent, physical theatre” – Theatre Wales.....
"the sort of show the Edinburgh Fringe was invented for, something a bit unique, memorable and bizzare" - Starburst Magazine.....