National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack “ Since its inception, National Theatre Wales have never been afraid to ask what theatre is and what it might be.” _ The Guardian UK 2 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack National Theatre Wales _ The nation of Wales is our stage. We collaborate with people and places to make extraordinary theatre that inspires change. From the intimate to the epic, our work is powerful, brave and unexpected. Created in Wales, with a global outlook, we are the English-language national theatre of Wales. nationaltheatrewales.org @NTWTweets National Theatre Wales 3 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack Our Story _ National Theatre Wales has been making English-language productions in locations all over Wales, the UK, internationally and online since March 2010. We operate from a small base in Cardiff’s city centre, but we work all over the country and beyond, using Wales’ rich and diverse landscape, its towns, cities and villages, its incredible stories and rich talent as our inspiration. Our audiences have followed us and Michael Sheen around his hometown, Port Talbot, to watch The Passion, and returned to the town in 2017 for We’re Still Here, a new production tackling the global steel crisis. Some partied with Neon Neon (Gruff Rhys & Boom Bip) in Cardiff and Berlin, learning the extraordinary story of Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, in Praxis Makes Perfect. Hundreds climbed the foothills of Snowdon to hear poems by the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke and witness first-hand the annual sheep-gathering, at The Gathering/Yr Helfa. Many watched a marathon, overnight performance of Iliad in Llanelli. People donned boots to experience Mametz, written by poet Owen Sheers and staged in farmland near Usk – the show offered a chilling glimpse of life and death in a WWI trench. More than 140,000 were in Cardiff to witness Roald Dahl’s City of the Unexpected, Wales’ biggest ever arts event, staged to commemorate the writer’s centenary on the streets of his hometown. And thousands joined us online for Tim Price’s award-winning The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning, learning about a teenager in Pembrokeshire who grew to be one of the world’s most influential and divisive political figures. Others watched across the globe our live online broadcast of Tide Whisperer in Tenby, tackling the global phenomenon of displacement and mass movement. These are just some of the 60+ productions we’ve staged on trains, military training grounds, beaches and mountains, in warehouses, nightclubs, cricket schools, tents, village halls, schools, aircraft hangars and libraries, all over towns like Barmouth, Laugharne, Rhyl and Aberystwyth, online and in apps, and in cities from Swansea to Tokyo. 4 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack “ The company deliberately splices tradition and innovation.” _ Financial Times UK 5 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack Achievements _ CIM Marketing Excellence Awards 2018 UK Theatre Award 2014 Finalists Best Design (Sarah Vining Marketing Consultancy in Partnership with Jon Bausor for Mametz National Theatre Wales and Wales Millennium Centre, for Roald Dahl’s City of the Unexpected) (Inaugural) James Tait Black Prize for Drama 2013 The Radicalisation Of Bradley Manning by Tim Price SMA National Stage Management Awards 2017 Best Stage Management Team Theatre Critics of Wales Awards 2013 For Roald Dahl’s City of the Unexpected Coriolan/Us _ Best Production in the English Language Cardiff Life Platinum Award 2017 _ Best Male Performance in the English Language (Richard Lynch) For Roald Dahl’s City of the Unexpected _ Best Music and Sound (John Hardy & Mike Beer) Cardiff Life Awards 2017 The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning Best Event — Best Ensemble (Matthew Aubrey, Harry Ferrier, Gwawr Loader, For Roald Dahl’s City Of The Unexpected Kyle Rees, Anjana Vasan & Sion Daniel Young) — Best Director (John E McGrath) Wales Theatre Awards 2017 — Best use of Digital / Online Content Best Sound (National Theatre Wales / Native HQ / Tom Beardshaw) Gruff Rhys for The Insatiable, Inflatable Candylion Little Dogs The Space Prize 2014 — Best Design (Tim Dickel) A new, biennial £20,000 Digital Theatre Award presented by The Space and BBC Writersroom Empty Space... Peter Brook Awards 2011 Bordergame Dan Crawford Award For Innovation Theatre Critics Of Wales Awards 2014 Theatre Awards UK 2011 Praxis Makes Perfect Best Director Award _ Director (Wils Wilson) Michael Sheen and Bill Mitchell for The Passion _ Lighting (Natasha Chivers) TMA Theatre Award 2010 Tonypandemonium Best Design _ Production In The English Language (Public Vote) Mike Brookes And Simon Banham for The Persians _ Female Performance In The English Language (Siwan Morris) Ted Hughes Award 2010 Silly Kings New Work In Poetry _ Production for Children and Young People Kaite O’Reilly for The Persians 6 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack “ If you’re looking for something completely different, National Theatre Wales can be guaranteed to deliver it.” _ The Guardian UK 7 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack Collaboration / TEAM _ Everywhere we go we collaborate with an ever-growing network of TEAM members. Based on a model of empowerment, leadership and co-creation, TEAM has changed the way an arts organisation collaborates with communities. In developing the skills of individuals, we support them to create their own futures. In turn, TEAM members are our partners in all our work, making decisions with us at every level of NTW and shaping how the organisation grows. Our TEAM network is unique. It spans all art forms, ages and abilities and is regarded as a leader in its field. It is a global network. Membership extends beyond Wales with 1000+ supporters worldwide. So far we’ve been building bridges, making friends and sharing best practice with partnerships in Australia, Brazil, India and North America. Education runs through all the work we do. Our aim is to nurture the next generation of leaders through our projects with young people. We facilitate the development of TEAM members through a programme of creative collaborations, training activities and mentoring, delivered through the TEAM Education strand. TEAM is part of The Agency, a creative entrepreneurship programme enabling young people, aged 15-25, to create social change projects based on the needs of their communities. The programme is based on Agência de Redes para Juventude, founded by Marcus Faustini in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2011. For more information, please contact _ Devinda De Silva Head of Collaboration [email protected] +44 (0)29 2035 3070 +44 (0)75 4068 7021 8 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack “ NTW reinvents the language of theatre every time it puts on a show.” _ The Daily Telegraph UK 9 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack Creative Development / Creating Tomorrow’s Theatre _ Since 2011, NTW has been working with independent artists to develop new ideas for performance. By focusing on creative exploration, we have helped artists to explore bold creative collaborations, to question their practice, and be brave with their artistic ambitions. In October 2017, NTW launched its biggest ever Creative Development programme, which brings this work together with the company’s own research and development processes. The Creative Development programme supports the development of artists and new performance work through the use of networks, peer support, mentoring, bespoke opportunities for artistic exploration, curation, and critical feedback. It builds on NTW’s strength in location, community building and digital connection to inspire the next generation of artists and audiences engaging in unique theatrical experiences of quality, ambition and innovation. A vital strand of National Theatre Wales’ Creative Development is international exchange. We have hosted artists from across the globe, including Australia, Bangladesh, India, Japan, Uganda, S.Korea & across Europe. And collaborated on international residencies to create valuable and extraordinary development opportunities for artists. For more information about Creative Development, both in Wales and internationally, or to start a conversation about creating new opportunities together, we’d love to hear from you. For more information, please contact _ Simon Coates Head of Creative Development [email protected] +44 (0)29 2035 3070 +44 (0)75 4591 5185 10 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack National Theatre Wales Cotton Fingers Available for touring from Autumn 2019 _ Aoife’s hungry and bored. Cillian makes a mean cheese toastie. As boredom and hunger are satisfied by half an hour in Cillian’s bed, Aoife’s life changes forever. As social and political upheaval grips her country, what hope does Aoife have to regain control? A timely, politically-charged show, written by award-winning writer Rachel Trezise at the time of the historic referendum of the 8th amendment in Ireland, Cotton Fingers takes us on a journey from Belfast to Cardiff. Writer _ Rachel Trezise Director _ Julia Thomas Designer _ Carl Davies Lighting Designer _ Joe Fletcher Associate Lighting Designer _ Jane Lalljee Sound Designer _ Tasha Taylor Johnson _ The Observer “...an exceptional one woman performance...” _ The Arts Review “ Trezise’s story is both emotionally powerful and rich with poetic language and vivid character.” _ The Stage 11 of 17 National Theatre Wales _ Promoters Pack Touring Information and Technical Specification _ Cotton Fingers Show Information _ Venue Requirements _ Running time _ 1 hour with no interval _ Full lighting rig including side lights. Lighting plan Age guidance _ 14+ will be forwarded on request. Contains some strong language _ Sound System compatible with taking a feed from a MacBook Pro using QLAB. The show is designed to be performed in a theatrical space _ Performance area of minimum 7 x 7 m.