Summerhall venue 26
Dates: 8-26 Aug (4-6 Aug Previews) No performances Mon 14 and Mon 21 Aug
Time: 16:30
Duration: 65 mins
Age: 12+
https://festival17.summerhall.co.uk/event/rosalind / 0131 560 1581
Tickets: £13 / £11 concessions (£11/£9 preview)
What
was the inspiration for this performance?
Rosalind
from Shakespeare’s As You Like It became the main protagonist and
vehicle through which we explored societies in which many people
still can’t be truly who they want to be, be that because of their
gender, race or sexuality. We created the show in Seoul and the
culture there became a big inspiration as well.
Is
performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?
Absolutely.
We’ve toured this show in the UK as well as Korea and Indonesia and
everywhere we’ve been really rich discussion has emerged after the
show. Interestingly the focus of the discussions has shifted
depending on country – in Korea it opened up dialogue about gender
equality, in Indonesia LGBTQ rights and here in the UK gender
fluidity has been the overriding imprint left on audiences.
How
did you become interested in making performance?
I
have always been a choreographer at heart, before I was even a
dancer. Since childhood I’ve loved bringing people together,
collecting and structuring ideas and presenting them to audiences.
Over time I have begun to realise the privilege of my position to
present ideas in performance to audiences and I feel a responsibility
to use that platform to say something meaningful; that can spark both
discussion and imaginations.
Is
there any particular approach to the making of the show?
The
show was made very much in collaboration with the performers and
other collaborators: lighting designer, dramaturg, poet, composer and
costume designer. My producer and I went on two research trips to
Seoul to try to get to know the culture and society there in order
for the show to be able to take influence from there.
Does
the show fit with your usual productions?
I
think the show is a development of all I have done so far. Each
production gets a slightly different flavour due to the dancers and
team who come on board but the over style continues to grow from the
companies previous works as well as work I create on other companies.
What
do you hope that the audience will experience?
For
those who know As You Like It, I hope people will experience Rosalind
in way they’ve never encountered her before. For those who don’t
I hope people can reflect on their own social and gender stereotypes.
We’ve tried not to impose our perspective on the audience but just
place the images on stage and let them witness how their mind reacts
when seeing people of different genders doing the same thing. I also
hope people will be left in awe of our incredible international cast!
What
strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?
I
worked very closely with my dramaturg, Hejin Jang, and producer
Francesca Moseley, to ensure that a balanced as possible view was
presented on stage. The structure remained in flux for a long time,
with us dramatically shifting sections around to try to balance
getting the social message across as well as subtly hinting at the As
You Like It narrative.
About
James Cousins Company
James
has risen quickly as one of the UK’s newest choreographic talents
since being selected by Matthew Bourne as the first recipient of the
inaugural New Adventures Choreographer Award in 2012. He set up James
Cousins Company in 2014 with producer Francesca Moseley. Following a
successful run at the British Council Edinburgh Showcase in 2013, the
company have toured their double bill Within Her Eyes and Without
Stars to six countries in South East Asia, South America and the UK
and where it was seen by over 8,000 people. The company are were
commissioned by the British Council as part of Shakespeare Lives to
create a new full length work in collaboration with dance artists and
costume designers in South Korea. ROSALIND was created and premiered
in Seoul before going on a tour of cities in Indonesia.
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