Being forced to perform in new or shared spaces may be a frustrating financial necessity for many theatres, says Lyn Gardner, but it’ll do wonders for their artistic output.
Complicite’s early shows evolved as much from a lack of resources as they did from a particular aesthetic, and it’s been the same with plenty of other companies, from Improbable and Kneehigh to Little Bulb and Action Hero. That’s not an argument for artists starving in garrets or being unable to access subsidy and investment, because you only have to see – in the case of a company such as Complicite – how that aesthetic may develop when shows are properly resourced. I’m thinking of A Disappearing Number or the brilliant Simon McBurney solo The Encounter, which employs binaural technology to terrific effect. But it is a reminder that need can be a spur to creativity... Keep reading on The Guardian
Complicite’s early shows evolved as much from a lack of resources as they did from a particular aesthetic, and it’s been the same with plenty of other companies, from Improbable and Kneehigh to Little Bulb and Action Hero. That’s not an argument for artists starving in garrets or being unable to access subsidy and investment, because you only have to see – in the case of a company such as Complicite – how that aesthetic may develop when shows are properly resourced. I’m thinking of A Disappearing Number or the brilliant Simon McBurney solo The Encounter, which employs binaural technology to terrific effect. But it is a reminder that need can be a spur to creativity... Keep reading on The Guardian