← BACK TO CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
Damsel Productions presenTS
DAMSEL OUTDOORS
FOUR WRITERS
FOUR DIRECTORS
FOUR DESIGNERS
FOUR NEW PROJECTS
OUTDOORS, London
13th - 23rd AUGUST 2020
↓DATES AND LOCATIONS BELOW↓
Welcome to Damsel Outdoors, a project devoted to bringing womxn and non binary artists together to make work outside!
During these extremely challenging times, Damsel has thought long and hard about what could be a small but meaningful contribution to artists and theatre. We have landed upon Damsel Outdoors as an expression of what we love about theatre most: the live collective relationship between artists and their audiences.
As a small company, we are acutely aware of the limitations of our reach and just how many talented creatives are out there impacted by this pandemic. We hope this will be the start of many future outdoor projects to come, that include as many fantastic artists as possible. See you Outdoors!
HOW IT WILL WORK
The project brings together an all womxn and non binary inclusive team of four writers, four directors, four designers. The pieces staged will be scenes, monologues, music, poetry and beyond - the only requirement is that the piece is enhanced by being outdoors, not hindered. It is a chance for the artists to explore the creative potentials of the outside, with no limitations on the subject matter.
This August will see Damsel Outdoors take place in locations including Portobello Road and Bankside as four compelling new pieces of theatre are staged across London. Damsel has worked with local authorities and communities to find accessible and exciting spaces to stage these pieces which embrace theatre and performance outside. Maintaining social distancing, in line with government guidelines, the shows will be open for anyone to watch and free for all audience members.
The festival opens on Thursday 13th August when the Damsel Green creative team will come to Under the Canopy, Portobello Road. Directed by Abigail Graham (The Tyler Sisters, Hampstead) and designed by Anna Clock (I WANNA BE YOURS, The Albany, Bush Theatre and UK tour), Take Back Control The Virus by Iman Qureshi (The Funeral Director) plays with the contradiction of rising anti-immigration sentiment in a Britain heavily reliant on frontline services dominated by immigrant workers.
The Damsel Blue creative team will take to the stage on a park bench in Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith on Monday 17th August. Vixen from Timberlake Wertenbaker (Our Country’s Good) is a piercing looking at identity politics and stigma through the persona of a wandering vixen. It is directed by Sita Thomas (The Rose and the Bulbul, Kadam) with design by Anna Reid (The Sweet Science of Bruising, Wilton’s Music Hall).
Transcendent from the Damsel Yellow team will open outside the Tate Modern on Bankside on Friday 21st August. Benedict Lombe’s (rise from the wreckage) piece is a lyrical celebration of Black Love fusing song, rap and poetry, all through the eyes of a couple grappling with a future in a world dominated by racial injustice. It is directed by Beth Pitts (Spine, Soho Theatre and UK tour) and designed by Khadija Raza (A History of Water in the Middle East, Royal Court Theatre).
Damsel Pink concludes the Damsel Outdoors festival with Clapped by Abi Zakarian (Fabric) on Sunday 23rd August at Giffin Square in Deptford. Directed by Lakesha Arie-Angelo (soft animals, Soho Theatre) with design by Nicola Chang (White Pearl, Royal Court Theatre), Clapped is a provocative interrogation of culpability and hypocrisy of a Britain clapping for its NHS, as growing protests fight to be heard.
A NOTE TO OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS
· Please follow the Government guidelines on hand-washing and hygiene.
· A reminder to social distance of at least 1m from anyone who is not within your household or designated social bubble.
· Where possible, please only use public transport where necessary to and from the performances.
· Please consider wearing a mask if possible.
· We will provide free masks and hand sanitiser on the day.
Design by Fionn O’Neill
