Kneehigh Theatre is of and from Cornwall, says Victoria Moore. We are proud of where we come from and are part of a community; it is a community that has suffered economic, social and political hardships that belie its beautiful landscapes and romantic Celtic image.
Cornwall is also poorly supplied with purpose-built theatre spaces. But we have superb landscapes and outdoor amphitheatres, both natural and manmade.
Over the last 14 years, Kneehigh Theatre has explored and developed outdoor theatre forms: in particular, our spectacular summer shows which rehearse and perform in unusual, outdoor sites. In recent years these have included clay pits, quarries, tin mines and beaches. Landscape theatre mixes theatrical disciplines and turns theatrical conventions upside down. We tell powerful resonant stories in unconventional ways. The form is an unusual hybrid of film grammar, operatic skill and sculptural skills, moving objects and people through a land and seascape to unfold a narrative. The main influence of each production is the site itself ? this dictates the story, how it will be told and by how many people ? rather than any pre-existing script or idea. The audience too is mobile and participates in the story.
Each project is unique and has attracted many volunteers ? young people, local people, older unemployed, people interested in Cornwall and the environment. We have recognised the training value in these projects and over the last three years have worked with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation to develop a more formal training programme which incorporates a summer school (a weeklong intensive course in ?Kneehighness? and working outside) and practical work experience integrated with targeted training sessions.
Managing such a project on site can be difficult ? we frequently work on unusual sites without mobile phone reception (last summer a disused tin mine, the summer before a clay pit), with all staff and volunteers usually living, eating and working on site for at least a six-week period. Managing this amount of people (up to 20 full time plus perhaps another 20 volunteers), and living in muddy and wet conditions, can be a challenging but ultimately rewarding task. Health and safety is also a major element ? convincing fire, police and district council officers two days before the show was due to open that recreating the effect of a car exploding via electrically detonated petrol bombs was in fact a safe and essential part of the performance was a bit too close for comfort.
The main skill needed to navigate throughout this process is undoubtedly teamwork. We work with a wide range of very experienced performers, makers, directors, designers, production staff and administrators alongside incredibly supportive communities, promoters and local authorities. At the end of the day it is this blend that makes each event possible.
We enjoy an exceptionally enthusiastic and dedicated audience, with visitors regularly planning their trips around Kneehigh performances. Our audience profile has changed over the years, from being predominantly local to including around 35% tourists. Average audiences range from 150 to over 1,000, depending on the site and how many we can fit in!
So far our landscape work has taken place almost exclusively in Cornwall, but we are gradually raising the profile of this unique and developmental form of theatre, and recently worked in Malta. Commissioned by the British Council in Malta and the Maltese Ministry of Education and Culture, we took a team of seven professional theatre makers who worked over a three-week period culminating in two performances incorporating speed boats, JCBs and over 100 local residents. We have been invited back next year and are currently exploring a wider cultural exchange which will develop the market and profile of the Cornish cultural industries, culminating in a trans-national exchange between Malta, Cyprus and Cornwall.
Victoria Moore is General Manager of Kneehigh Theatre. t: 01872 223159; f: 01872 260487;e: victoria@kneehigh.co.uk