Press Release: Theo Clinkard presents This Bright Field - Autumn Tour 2017

[Jan McNulty]

THEO CLINKARD presents
This Bright Field - Autumn Tour 2017 

A full-length dance production conceived in two distinct parts by Brighton-based choreographer and stage designer Theo Clinkard 

An international cast of twelve dancers 

Performances in Glasgow, London and Salford Quays

Media release: Friday 18 August 2017 – Following its world premiere as part of Brighton Festival earlier this year, choreographer and stage designer Theo Clinkard announces details of This Bright Field autumn tour 2017. 
This Bright Field opens at Tramway, Glasgow on 13 & 14 October, followed by Laban Theatre, London on 28 October and concludes at The Lowry, Salford Quays on 31 October and 1 November.

After the success of Clinkard’s recent high profile commissions - Somewhat still, when seen from above for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and The Listening Room for Danza Contemporanea de Cuba - This Bright Field is Clinkard’s latest work for his own celebrated company. 

Clinkard and his company of twelve exceptional dancers, have crafted a dance event in two distinct parts that imaginatively asks the audience to consider the subjective and objective gaze and experiences of togetherness from a new perspective. 

In part one, the audience are invited in small groups to share the stage with the performers as they collapse and expand a maze of screens to direct and edit the audiences’ experience of their dancing. Within the miniature worlds created, time slows as captivating and unrepeatable exchanges between the performers elicit an atmosphere of intimacy and care.

In part two, Clinkard’s choreography takes to the full stage on a cinematic scale. Back in the auditorium seats and with the familiarity of each dancer still in mind, the audience witness the twelve-strong cast navigate a series of social and choreographic settings. Movement, sound and imagery gradually build in momentum as This Bright Field becomes a highly visual and emotional experience.

 

This Bright Field draws on an international cast of outstanding dancers and performers: Temitope Ajose-Cutting (England); Pau Aran Gimeno (Spain); Natalie Corne (Wales); Nick Coutsier (Belgium); Luke Divall (England); Mathieu Geffré (France); James Keane (England); Samuel Kennedy (England); Meri Pajunpää (Finland); Colas Lucot (France); Leah Marojevic (England); Stephanie McMann (England); and Crystal Zillwood (England). 

Stage Designs for This Bright Field are created by Clinkard himself.  Clinkard has worked as a stage designer for over 15 years (Sydney Dance, Malmo Opera, Skanes Dansteater, Opera La Scala, Scottish Opera and Scottish Dance Theatre among others) and conceives the designs for his own work in parallel with his choreographic thinking.  

Clinkard is reunited with regular collaborators for This Bright Field. 

Live music is composed and performed by James Keane. Having worked with Clinkard as composer Of Land & Tongue, Chalk and Somewhat still, when seen from above, Keane has recently composed for Charles Linehan’s A Quarter plus Green that premiered at Brighton Festival in 2016. Other work includes creations for Clod Ensemble, Joss Arnott and many years touring as a musician with Hofesh Shechter Company. 

Guy Hoare (Lighting Designer) has been designing lighting for theatre, dance, opera and musicals for almost twenty years. His designs for dance have been seen all over the world and include pieces for Sydney Dance Company, Christopher Bruce, Arthur Pita, Shobana Jeyasingh, Mark Bruce, Ben Wright and Claire Cunningham. Hoare lit Clinkard’s Of Land & Tongue and Chalk.

Costumes are by opera, film and theatre designer Rike Zöllner. Her designs for dance include Clinkard’s Somewhat still, when seen from above for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and work for National Dance Company of Wales, Motionhouse, NoFit State and Eleesha Drennan. 

This Bright Field is a Dance4 co-production. Co-commissioned by Brighton Festival, Dance4, Greenwich Dance & Trinity Laban Partnership, The Lowry and Tramway, with additional support from The Point, The Miskin Theatre and the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Clinkard commented: "I'm thrilled to be following up our Brighton Festival premiere with a tour to three of my favourite dance venues, each of them well known for dynamic programming of contemporary performance and, together with Dance4, the organisations that have generously invested in this production. I'm excited for the opportunity a run of shows provides me and my company with, to refine, deepen and understand the full potential of This Bright Field. I'm really proud of this exceptional group of dancers and I can’t wait for their artistry to be shared with audiences across the country."

-ENDS- 

NOTES: 

Theo Clinkard presents This Bright Field Autumn tour 2017 – listings information 

 

TRAMWAY, GLASGOW


Friday 13 & Saturday 14 October 2017


Tickets £15, £11 concessions


Part 1: 7.15pm, 7.30pm, 7.45pm / Part 2: 8.30pm (ends approx. 9.15pm)


Tickets are valid for both Part 1 & Part 2 / 0845 330 3501 / www.tramway.org

 

LABAN THEATRE, LONDON


Saturday 28 October 2017


Tickets £18, £12 concessions


Part 1: 7.00pm, 7.20pm, 7.40pm / Part 2: 8.15pm (ends approx. 9pm)


Tickets are valid for both Part 1 & Part 2 / 020 8463 0100 / www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/labantheatre

 

THE LOWRY, SALFORD QUAYS


Tuesday 31 October (Post-show talk) & Wednesday 1 November 2017


Tickets £16.50, £14.50 concessions


Part 1: from 7.00pm / Part 2: 8.30pm (ends approx. 9.15pm) 
Tickets are valid for both Part 1 & Part 2 / 0843 208 6010 / www.thelowry.com/dance

 

Age guidance: 16+ unless accompanied by an adult 

 

THIS BRIGHT FIELD trailer here

 

Over the last 5 years, choreographer, performer and stage designer, Theo Clinkard has built an international reputation for creating affecting and visually arresting work which explores the communicative potential of the body and the empathetic nature of dance in performance. He launched his company in 2012 and has since created a critically acclaimed body of work which has toured across the UK and internationally (Hell Bent, Ordinary Courage, Of Land & Tongue and Chalk). 

Outside of his company work, Clinkard has undertaken a range of high profile international commissions. In 2015, he created Somewhat still, when seen from above for the renowned company, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch as part of their historic first evening of new work. In May 2016, Clinkard premiered The Listening Room for 20 dancers at Danza Contemporanea de Cuba. The Listening Room was recently performed as part of Danza Cuba’s 2017 UK tour presented by Dance Consortium. Clinkard has premiered 26 original dance works, many of them created for training institutions and youth companies in England, Austria, Chile, Ireland, Wales and New Zealand. 

Clinkard is an Associate Artist at Dance4, Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival and a Resident Artist at Greenwich Dance. www.theoclinkard.com