28.10.16

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Vesper Time replaced by History, History, History

Due to a family emergency Stacy Makishi has had to return to Hawaii urgently and it is with huge regret that we must cancel Vesper Time. We are really sorry and send our thoughts and wishes to Stacy.

Although we are heartbroken not to have Stacy, we have by an unbelievable confluence of good fortune found a very special artist and a wonderful piece of work for Compass Festival opening night.

HISTORY, HISTORY, HISTORY

Our friend Deborah Pearson, artist, academic and co-founder of the amazing Forest Fringe made an extraordinary work this year, History History History. She is about to tour it to Slovenia and Spain but, because she is a star and all round beautiful person, she has adjusted her schedule to bring the work to Leeds. Hurrah and many thanks Deborah.

October 23rd, 1956, a revolution started in Hungary. Hungarians fought Soviet troops on the streets, from their homes, and from the Corvin Cinema, the Revolutionary Headquarters. Deborah Pearson loosely “translates” the film that was meant to be premiered at that cinema on that day.

History History History is a multi layered, hilarious and poignant journey in which a global moment collides with a personal history. Taking as its focus a satirical comedy film ostensibly about the Hungarian football team of 1956 in which a conman is mistaken for star player, Ferenc Puskás, and poached by an overarching dictatorship determined to rule the footballing world. But of course, it’s so much more. Brilliantly weaving actual and fake subtitles, Deborah illuminates this subversive comedy response to tyranny, touching on the difficulty of the child of a diaspora connecting with history, constrained by time, family narratives and a loss of language. Thus a 1956 Hungarian Football comedy gives way to the stories of a writer who lost his name, an actor who lost his voice, and a country that lost its revolution.

The performance takes place at 7.30 on 11th November 2016 at Live Art Bistro. Tickets are £12 (£10 concessions) and can be booked here.

“A magnetic piece of work that does what all great theatre should, probes and prods at its subject and ultimately reveals it in a new light.”  – Kris Hatlett’s Mayfest Shorts Review

Developed with support from the National Theatre Studio.

A House on Fire Commission with Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse) and bit teatergarasjen (Bergen).  Dramaturgy by Daniel Kitson.  Outside Eyes Tania El Khoury and Laura Dannequin.