“IT’S NEVER A FINISHED PRODUCT”: AMIT LAHAV OF GECKO THEATRE

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Stunning the crowd at the 2013 Pleasance press launch Gecko’s latest production Missing has

already received great acclaim at this year’s Fringe. Fest gave the production 4 stars and proclaimed it as “one of the most visually arresting shows at the Fringe” whilst The List commented that “originality pulses through every scene”. The company’s Artistic Director and Founder, Amit Lahav, has worked with Gecko for the past 11 years producing five astounding works of physical theatre - including The Overcoat and The Arab and the Jew and The Race. Discussing artistic vision, the engagement of physical theatre and universal themes of lost identity and relationships, Amit is a truly fascinating theatre maker.

Missing began for Amit whilst he was working in Madison, Wisconsin, on a residency for a dance company over there. “I happened upon a notion,” Amit begins, “of a missing girl, a woman with a decaying soul and a scientist who was obsessed with some sort of theory to do with the soul and that is how it began. It doesn’t really formulate like that as a vision for the whole. It starts as a seed, something very small and potentially something that gets left behind.” Amit continues, detailing how he then worked to translate his ideas into something which would fit with his company, Gecko, evolving until it became what it is today, “It’s never a finished product though,” Amit adds, “it’s always developing.”

With a background in theatre school and training from some of the best in the field, Amit’s previous experience has been inspirational on his journey to where he is now. “It was really drama college that alerted me to the fact that I was a physical, expressive performer; one who was less interested in conveying things through words.” After graduating from drama college, Amit spent eight years with renowned figures such as Stephen Berkoff, Lindsay Kemp and Ken Campbell, who he describes as “visionaries.” “By the end of those eight years,” Amit concludes, “my fire was truly lit.”

Speaking with an understated passion about his work and career, Amit talks of how engaging he finds physical theatre, something many would disagree with owing to the lack of speech to carry the narrative. “There are a couple of really important ingredients to ensure the piece is engaging,” Amit begins, “If we are going to join together you can have an incredibly emotional journey but you have to make that connection at the very beginning. It’s all about signposts too. These say input your own narrative experiences of life in here, and here and here. In some ways that is why it takes so long because over layering the narrative is bad. The style is to provoke the audience’s individual imagination. And you need good performers, world class performers.”

Missing is an exciting work of theatre but one which seems impossible to describe to someone unfamiliar with the work. I ask Amit how he would go about explaining the piece, a question which he smiles over for some time before replying, “If I could write nothing about Missing that’s exactly what I’d do. It really is very, very personal to every single person who sees it,” he laughs, “though were I pushed, I’d say I think it is a voyage into somebody really trying to remember who they are in relation to their identity and their cultural identity. The person in Missing has managed to forget or chosen to forget crucial elements of who they are. It’s universal in that sense, everyone should be able to connect with it and it’s phenomenally visual, so moving as it is so beautifully done.”

With years of experience under his belt and a number of successful productions to his name, Amit’s artistic vision is surely still only just the seed he described still growing and flourishing with each new venture. Missing truly is a stunningly visually and emotionally moving piece of modern physical theatre where words fail to portray what is being said throughout this beautiful piece of work.

Check out Missing until 25 August in the Pleasance Courtyard at 13.00

ISSUE 7: 12TH AUGUST 2013

www.pleasance.co.uk

BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOOK NOW:

“By the end of those eight years my fire was truly lit”

“It is a voyage into someone really trying to

remember who they are ”

Image of the day: The atmospheric and explosive Missing from Gecko

Hilary: Manager

Hi, I’m Hilary the manager of Pendulums. I am responsible for ensuring the retail Pendulum keeps on swinging. Here at Pendulums we pride ourselves on being ‘purveyors of everything you’ve ever wanted and more’. Pendulums is a unique store that offers a shopping experience like no other. The shop is jam packed with puppetry, live music, comedy and singing. From the moment customers enter the store they will be treated to a few shop perks, free samples, store cards and demonstrations of our latest products in store.

Beatrice: Sales Assistant

Pendulums is the place where retail dreams are made. I am one of the sales assistants at Pendulums and I work in beauty. So if you’re looking for a few make up tips or help finding the perfect fragrance then I’m your lady....on that note we do have a wonderful new fragrance just in called ‘Daisy Does It’ a wonderful

fresh and fruity number for the summer. So come and see me and I will sort you out a sample.

Sue: Stock Room Worker

Hello...I work in the stock room, I’m still training and I’m currently a level 1 but hoping to get to level 2. At level 3 I get a neck scarf like Beatrice and pink lipstick!

You can visit Hilary, Beatrice and Sue in Pendulums Bargain Emporium until 24 August. The store is open in the Pleasance Dome from 16.20

From left to right: Beatrice, Sue

WELCOME TO PENDULUMS BARGAIN EMPORIUM We meet the staff at the Pleasance’s own department store

ITCH WITH A TWIST: 12 & 13 AUGUSTJO CAULFIELD – STEVE FROST – SARA PASCOE – ALAN FRANCIS - MATT GREEN – PHIL NICHOL

Tomorrow, the 13th August, the Pleasance Grand will host one of

the most spectacular events of the Fringe: The Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit. In aid of Waverley Care, a Scottish charity devoted to helping those affected by HIV and Hepatitis C, The Tartan Ribbon raises tens of thousands of pounds each year as some of the festival’s most famous faces come out in support of this incredibly worthy cause.

For the past 24 years, Waverley Care has been working to prevent HIV and Hepatitis C, offering

services and support to those who are affected by the conditions. Over the last 22 years Waverley Care has been working with the Pleasance, raising awareness of the charity and the work they do as well as facilitating fundraising during the festival. The Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit is one of the biggest fundraisers for the charity each year and looks set to be bigger and better than ever before in 2013.

Comprising the glitzy A List of the festival, this year’s outstanding line up contains renowned household

names, fabulous cabaret acts and exceptional festival favourites. Topping the star studded roll call is The Boy With Tape On His Face who has returned to the Pleasance this year with his sell out 2012 show, More Tape, while musical comic David O’Doherty returns from his worldwide tour to entertain with his humorous songs. For fans of cabaret, the Tartan Ribbon line up features talented juggler Mat Ricardo and Slightly Fat Features, world class performers who want to bring variety into the 21st century. Stand up slots will be filled by Tim Vine, Hal

Cruttenden and Chris Stokes and MC Stuart Goldsmith will be doing his very best to hold the whole show together.

The best night in comedy at this year’s festival will be taking place tomorrow in the Pleasance Grand. With a truly fantastic line up of acts performing and profits going to a worthwhile cause The Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit is a must see event each year and promises to be a brilliant night.

The Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit takes place on the 13 August in the Pleasance Courtyard at 20.00.

Edited by Emily Tanner. Photography by Jassy Earl

THE TARTAN RIBBON COMEDY BENEFITCELEBRATING 22 YEARS OF WAVERLEY CARE

@SimplyTheJestWe saw @eleanorthom yester-day afternoon in @pleasance

great character show, free tea-cakes and @tristan_rogers got

given a cushion #edfringe

@ThePleasanceTim Vine has just been added to an already amazing

Tartan Ribbon line up in aid of

@WaverleyCare, IT’S THIS TUESDAY!

@rhumandclay Go see @BryonyKimmings at the Pleasance Dome! Fantastic show,

moving, funny and important. Congrats to both of you

PLEASANCE

TWEETS

Beroca beroca beroca. Other multivitamins are available, but take them!

Don’t worry about the weather. If you stood out all day long, you’d be dry at the end. It’s net zero. Yes it will hammer down, but the sun and wind will perfectly balance it.

It’s a long month and the people who aren’t here are not bothered about it. Don’t forget that life exists outside of here... phone your family!

If you ask me what time my show is, how many I’ve had in, or what have the reviews been like BEFORE you ask how

I am, I reserve the right to break one of your bones. I get to pick which one.

Use the preview time wisely, you might have 3 shows to fine tune. There is no way you have it just right when you get here - so get tweaking, not tweeting!

Catch Tom until the 25 August in the Pleasance Courtyard at 19.40

FRINGE TIPS WITH TOM WRIGGLESWORTH FOR 12

Cut out and present to the Box Office for 2

FOR 1 tickets for:

Bryony Kimmings: Credible Likeable

Superstar Rolemodel

13 Aug 17.45, Pleasance Dome

“Beroca, Beroca, Beroca! Other vitamins

are available but take them! ”

In 2011, comedy duo Max and Ivan thought it best to pit professional, trained wrestlers against stand up

comedians. The result was Foster’s Comedy Award winning, sell out spectacular The Wrestling which stunned crowds with its chaos and comedy and received critical acclaim. Since once was not enough, The Wrestling is back for 2013. It will undoubtedly offer plenty of laughs, be it from the stellar jokes coming from the comedy cast or for fear of their lives as they are thrown about by heavyweight champions and wrestling superstars.

Two years ago The Wrestling seemed like a mad idea. Take some comedians, grab some trained wrestlers, throw them together in a fringe venue and let carnage ensue. This year’s commentary team, Brendan Burns and Andrew Maxwell, will return alongside 2011’s MC Nick Helm to guide the audience through the show. Tom Rosenthal is bravely bravely putting his body on the line, competing in a one-on-one grudge match against professional wrestler, Dan ‘The Hammer’ Head and will be joined by new comedic talent to tackle the competition of the wrestlers in this year’s showdown.

Set once again to be the stand out event of the Fringe, The Wrestling II will no doubt be a night to remember. It may be difficult to know just what to expect from such a unique show but it is guaranteed to be a night of madness, violence and unexpected entertainment. Something you will only ever see at the fringe.

‘Tickets for tomorrow’s event are now sold out but check out our exclusive coverage in Pleasance Times’ special edition out 14 August.

THE WRESTLING II

The Pleasance Theatre Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1050944) and Scotland (SCO43227)

Some of the stars set to light up the Tartan Ribbon: David O’Doherty, The Boy With Tape On His Face, and Mat Ricardo