024 on tourUK DRAMA & DANCE 2004 COME UP TO THE LAB A SCIART SPECIAL BOBBY BAKER_RANDOM DANCE_TOM SAPSFORD_CAROL BROWN_CURIOUS KIRA O’REILLY_THIRD ANGEL_BLAST THEORY_DUCKIE CHEEK BY JOWL_QUARANTINE_WEBPLAY_GREEN GINGER CIRCUS_DIARY DATES_UK FESTIVALS_COMPANY PROFILES On Tour is published bi-annually by the Performing Arts Department of the British Council. It is dedicated to bringing news and information about British drama and dance to an international audience. On Tour features articles written by leading and journalists and practitioners. Comments, questions or feedback should be sent to FEATURES [email protected] on tour 024 EditorJohn Daniel 20 ‘ALL THE WORK I DO IS UNCOMPLETED AND Assistant Editor Cathy Gomez UNFINISHED’ ART 4 Dominic Cavendish talks to Declan TheirSCI methodologies may vary wildly, but and Third Angel, whose future production, Donnellan about his latest production Performing Arts Department broadly speaking scientists and artists are Karoshi, considers the damaging effects that of Othello British Council WHAT DOES LONDON engaged in the same general pursuit: to make technology might have on human biorhythms 10 Spring Gardens SMELL LIKE? sense of the world and of our place within it. (see pages 4-7). London SW1A 2BN Louise Gray sniffs out the latest projects by Curious, In recent years, thanks, in part, to funding T +44 (0)20 7389 3010/3005 Kira O’Reilly and Third Angel Meanwhile, in the world of contemporary E [email protected] initiatives by charities like The Wellcome Trust dance, alongside Wayne McGregor, we cover www.britishcouncil.org/arts and NESTA (the National Endowment for the latest show from Carol Brown, which looks COME UP TO Science, Technology and the Arts), there’s THE LAB beyond the body to virtual reality, and Tom Drama and Dance Unit Staff 24 been a growing trend in the UK to narrow the Lyndsey Winship Sapsford, who’s exploring the effects of Director of Performing Arts THEATRE gap between arts and science professionals John Kieffer asks why UK hypnosis on his dancers (see pages 9-11). Next choreographers are WITHOUT through research initiatives that encourage Deputy Director of Performing Arts BOUNDARIES year, we can look forward to choreographer and Head of Drama and Dance turning to the cross-disciplinary collaboration and exchange. science lab for Lyn Gardner goes Mark Baldwin’s first new work, (since Sally Cowling (Sub-Saharan Africa and North America) This issue discusses the fruits of some of inspiration into Quarantine becoming its artistic director), for Rambert Office Manager/Directors’ PA 8 these collaborations. Kelly Foster Dance Company – a commission from the From experiments in the realm of psychology Institute of Physics to celebrate the Drama and Dance Projects Managers: by live artist Bobby Baker (see page 12) to centenary of the publication of Einstein’s Andrew Jones (Central and Eastern Europe) Administrator Maria Kozlovskaya 26 choreographer Wayne McGregor’s most significant ideas, which premieres at Carole McFadden (Middle East and North Africa, 12 OH WHAT A CIRCUS, OH WHAT A SHOW investigations in the field of neuroscience (see Sadler’s Wells in May 2005 (see page 11). South Asia and Asia Pacific) THE PERFORMANCE ARTIST Administrator Lucy Hazell Dorothy Max Prior marvels at the latest UK circus spectacles page 8), contemporary UK artists are AND THE PEA Outside of the sciart theme, there’s an Steven Brett (Western Europe, South America John Daniel on Bobby Baker’s plan to providing scientists with unique new insights and Australasia) interview with director Declan Donnellan on teach the world how to live and contributing in creative ways to debates Administrator Patricia Souza ‘THE LAST THING I the British Council 70th Anniversary world about the ethics and philosophy behind WANT TO DO IS tour of Othello (see page 20); a survey of the Special Projects Co-ordinator ENCOURAGE scientific work. THERE’S A CITY IN MY contemporary UK circus scene, which shows Janice Galloway PEOPLE TO GO TO MOBILE PHONE… In return, the science lab is providing a rich just how far the form’s developed since its THE THEATRE’ British Council contacts in Northern Ireland, Samara Mitchell plays Blast Theory’s latest Sophie Travers analyses the source of inspiration for artists. Like Helen genesis in London almost two hundred and Scotland and Wales: interactive game in Adelaide Colette Norwood, British Council Belfast Duckie mentality Paris and Leslie Hill of Curious, for instance, fifty years ago (see page 26); a feature on T +44 (028) 9024 8220 30 E [email protected] 15 who have been working with a neuroscientist boundary-breaking theatre company to gain a better understanding of the human Quarantine, which spawns this issue’s cover Kate Burwell, British Council Edinburgh T +44 (0)131 524 5714 sense of smell, for their project On the Scent star (see page 24); and a peek behind the E [email protected] 18 (see page 4). Or Blast Theory, which scenes of Duckie’s Sydney Opera House debut Chris Ricketts, Wales Arts International collaborates with leading researchers in the back in February (see page 30). T +44 (0)29 2039 7346 E [email protected] WEBPLAY fields of computer science, engineering and Sydney Thornbury reports on an All this, and the usual run-down of the British psychology, to integrate new technologies ISSN 1741-6639 internet-based project that brings ACTING STRANGE Council’s global drama and dance events (see theatre into the classroom that merge the physical and digital worlds © British Council 2004. All rights reserved. The views Terry Lee takes twenty life-size latex heads to Réunion page 36), news and information (see page 43) expressed or opinions stated in On Tour are not 33 into its work (see page 15). and forthcoming festivals (page 35). I hope necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher. Reasonable care has been taken to avoid error in the In the world of live art – which arguably leads you’ll find it an interesting read. publication but no liability will be accepted for any errors news & information the field in the creation of interesting sciart that may occur. No material in this publication may be reproduced without the consent in writing of the publisher. projects – we also cover Kira O’Reilly, whose John Daniel 35 FESTIVALS Forthcoming UK performing arts festivals © Images lie with individual photographers work questions the way in which the body Editor 36 (P)REVIEW A selection of British Council drama and dance events worldwide (January – December 2004) interfaces with digital- and bio-technology, 39 COMPANY PROFILES Bobby Baker, Carol Brown, Company F.Z, Duckie, Gravity & Levity, NoFitState Circus, Tom Sapsford, Third Angel, Random Dance 43 NEWS & INFORMATION STATION Publications, online resources, conferences, awards and news round-up The United Kingdom’s international organisation for Should you have any comments, questions or feedback about anything educational and cultural relations. within this issue please contact [email protected]. We are registered in England as a charity no. 209131. Front cover image: William McCoy, Quarantine (Photographer: Gavin Parry) on tour _03 SCIART _(All photos) Curious (Photographer: Hugo Glendinning) CARNESKY’S GHOSTSCIART TRAIN PROFESSOR BHALLA SEES SCIENCE AS A CREATIVE ACT. THE ENTIRE PROJECT WAS ENRICHED BECAUSE OF HIS ATTITUDE tandem with Essences of London, a DVD-based sciart fund for an award that would enable them to portrait of the city. On the Scent consists of three pin down the unpindownable. Put in touch with the rooms – a sick room where Paris does an Indian neuroscientist Dr Upinder Bhalla of the impressive headstand in a tin full of stale biscuits National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, and a kitchen where Hill snorts lines of chilli they travelled to his laboratories to discuss how powder and fries a pork chop are added to their individual projects may dovetail. ‘Dr Bhalla Weaver’s ultra-feminine dressing room – with their explained that smell is the least mediated of the own smells and stories. We’re experiencing the senses,’ relates Paris. ‘It bypasses the thalamus, work in a flat in south London, although the which is like a filtering mechanism for the brain. performance has, Hill says, shape-shifted from That means that smell has more of an immediacy, or venue to venue. So far it has been presented in a visceral, quality; it has a more direct route to the WHAT mansion flat on New York’s Madison Avenue, an brain. In this way, you could say that smell is a old building in Porto Allgre, Brazil, an art deco chemical sense.’ apartment in Shanghai, China and a council house The spin-off questions arising from both On the in London’s East End. After its tour of five London Scent and Essences of London are endless. What boroughs in 2004, it will travel to France, and, in does London smell like? (Curry, according to many DOES early 2005, Hong Kong and Australia. Londoners.) What does home smell like? (Cut grass The overarching theme of the show is and roast Sunday dinner.) How do levels of homesickness, but On the Scent is primarily about economic development and social conditioning ‘Come on up,’ a woman’s voice – impatient, story telling and how we construct our own affect this? (Greatly, Hill says: ‘In Brazil, people said slightly imperious – calls to us as we open the personal memories. For Hill, an American who grew that the smell of earth after the first rain following a front door. Mounting the stairs to the flat above, I up in New Mexico, these can be events that drought reminded them of home. Westerners would encompass things she was too young to have London and my two unknown companions are aware that often name a brand: Pear’s soap, Yardley lavender.’) experienced.