| Told By An Idiot is one of Britain's premiere physical theatre companies. Their performances are devised by the cast, working with the director. Their previous work has been described as: [The company was] formed by director John Wright and actors Paul Hunter and Hayley Carmichael, although both Paul and Hayley direct too. And it will be Paul directing 'A Little Fantasy', whose cast will be me, Hayley and three other actresses. Nice work if you can get it. Paul and I worked together on 'Animal Farm' and 'Twelfth Night'. Ged Simmons, 2002 A Little Fantasy The following promotional blurbs are borrowed from theatre sites: "From Shakespeare to the Sopranos, people have always been fascinated by families and often the more dysfunctional the better. Told by an Idiot gives their own highly original take on 'the family', the power struggles, the egos and the bonds that can never be broken. Set in a time when the natural order of things has collapsed, A Little Fantasy tells the story of a family who dwells outside of the law, living on their wits, and ruled by two women whose hearts 'beat as one'.An outstanding company of performers is led by Told by an Idiot co-founder Hayley Carmichael (Time Out Award Best Actress) and Lisa Hammond (Told by an Idiot's Shoot me in the Heart, National Theatre, Graeae). Over the past nine years, Told by an Idiot has established a national and international reputation for its unique theatrical style, where the line between comedy and tragedy has never been finer." ******* "Two women meet Their paths are changed Their fate is set And a life less ordinary is about to begin Following the outstanding success of Shoot Me in the Heart and I Can't Wake Up, Told by an Idiot returns with its new show, A Little Fantasy. Set in a world where seeing is not necessarily believing, A Little Fantasy tells the story of two women existing outside the law and living on their wits. People naturally fall under their spell. Escaping is a different matter entirely! Meanwhile, a love triangle continues apace. As these two stories collide, a sublime mix of taut drama, wild comedy and alarming images is released. Originally conceived as part of the 2001 London International Mime Festival, and now inspired by the short stories of Flannery O'Connor, A Little Fantasy comprises an outstanding company of performers led by Told by an Idiot's co-founder Hayley Carmichael (Time Out Award Best Actress); and collaborator Lisa Hammond (Told by an Idiot's Shoot me in the Heart, Graeae). Over the past ten years, Told by an Idiot has established a national an international reputation for its unique theatrical style, where the line between comedy and tragedy has never been finer." ***************************** * ***************************** After a successful regional tour in 2002 Told By An Idiot's A Little Fantasy will open in London on Monday 13th January, 2003. It will be appearing at the Soho Theatre as part of the London Mime Festival from the 13th to the 1st of February. The show won't be performed on Sundays so dates are: 13-18, 20-25, 27-31 Jan; 1 Feb 2003 Book tickets here now! Win tickets here! I'll start begging now - newspaper reviews, personal reviews or programs would all be very gratefully received and either costs covered or something sent in return. You can e-mail me at [email protected] **************** Ged's thoughts about 'A Little Fantasy' Anyway, I'm slowly preparing myself for Told By An Idiot now. Gradually getting a bit fitter and enjoying doing research, which includes watching movies set in the deep south of the States - such as 'Badlands' and 'O Brother Where Art Thou?' And many to come I'm sure. Ged Simmons, 2002 From Monday we have the luxury of being able to work on the set (a rarity in theatre) so we can explore some of the physical aspects of the piece and see if our ideas are feasible. As I suspected I would I'm having a brilliant time and am glad to report that the other members of the cast are really nice, very creative and great fun to work with. I'm sure the tour will be a pleasure. Ged Simmons, October, 2002 The initial premise was about a couple of women who meet, go off on a crime spree together (shades of 'Bonnie And Clyde' and 'Thelma And Louise') before one of them disappears and the other is left with a strange sense of loss. The next influence to be added was the short stories of the writer Flannery O'Connor, who wrote about the deep south of the States in the thirties and forties. The stories tend to be quite dark, almost Gothic and often just end without necessarily tying up all of the various strands. So there are two or three scenes, which are pretty much straight lifts from O'Connor (although with an Idiot slant to them). Add to this a cinema, a bowling alley, a James Cagney impersonation competition and several moments of pure fantasy and that's roughly what the piece is built around. Ged Simmons, January, 2003 A little more information on the Told By An Idiot Theatre Company and its past productions may be found here. |
| Told By An Idiot |
| And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. William Shakespeare |
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| �Theatre about as inventive, imaginative and fantastical as it gets.� Time Out �A dazzling blend of improvisation allied to an inventive theatricality,held together with magnetic precision playing.� The Independent |
| Tickets on sale! |
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| Picture by Richard Lewisohn and borrowed from London Mime Festival |
| This is a joyous piece of nonsense to be treasured. Glasgow Herald |
| This is a production that has both the stars and the moon in its hands. The Scotsman |
| Visually stunning in its simplicity and backed by spot-on use of lighting and sound it is a delightful theatrical spread to titillate all of your senses. Edinburgh Guide |