word on the street is, dog is back!
Theatre : Are Strings Attached? Our sell-out show of 2017 is running again at the Brighton Fringe Festival 2018. Hooray! You think you know about graffiti? Tags, Throw-ups, Pieces? Think again. Are Strings Attached? is written from the inside, in consultation with graffiti writers, to tell the real story: a one man play about graffiti, tennis and Pinocchio that explores themes of fame, identity and gnosis. This must-see show played to standing ovations at the Buddhafield Festival, and sold out at Brighton Fringe 2017. "I strongly urge others to witness this play. Solo Acting is an intriguing phenomenon in itself. Acting so often relies on interaction and reaction but the muscular memory and Opera of the Mind that you employ, sometimes truly ascending into shape shifting, deploys a series of effects that I've not seen other than by Anthony Sher or Berkoff." A W King. Are Strings Attached? is the darkly comic fictional autobiography of DOG. He's a graffiti legend, a tennis pro, and a wanna be actor. It turns out that he hates his dad and that he may, or may not, have issues with Jiminy Cricket. Shouldn't fame be more fun than this? "I asked myself this question,” explains actor/writer Simon Lovat, “What would you get if you crossed Banksy with Bjorn Borg? You’d get DOG. I wanted to take a quintessentially urban ‘problem’ and the concept of ‘fame’ and make those things have a conversation with the Pinocchio story. How do you become a 'real boy' and what does it mean to be authentic? Are Strings Attached? was the result. It wrote itself.” Prepare to be delighted and confounded and to have your credulity tested to the max in this thrilling exploration of toxic aspiration, identity, and the Big Question of existence itself. In short, it's a rollercoaster ride through subjectivity and selfhood, truth and fiction. And - believe it or not - it's funny. Anyone for tennis? We have a nice cosy venue at SweetWerks 2, (Venue 18) Werks Central 15-17 Middle Street, BN1 1AL. Show dates: May 4 - 5 and then from May 21 - 27, at 21.50 pm. Tickets £9.00/£7.00. from the venue or Fringe Box Office. Deals available. Look out for us in the online Fringe brochure or the hard copy. "Simon Lovat will bring a unique theatre" (The Argus) Fear not, there is no audience participation, and the show runs for 55 minutes without a break. Reviews: ***** "The play is performed with minimal props, and without makeup. That needs a class performance. Yet Simon Lovat manages to take us from his childhood home to the girder of a railway bridge with the twist of his head or the gaze of an eye. The acting is physical and astounding. There's no time to blink... It's both seriously fun and unsettling...[the room] feels empty when he leaves. " (Brighton Source 09/05/2017.) You can read the whole review here: http://brightonsource.co.uk/reviews/strings-attached-review/ What the public say: We don't always work in public venues, and we get a lot of audience reviews. This is what they are saying about Are Strings Attached?: "The performance was absolutely outstanding" (Tony, Fareham) "All 11 of us thought the performance was brilliant. Thank you so much. A brilliant evening!" (Brendan, Brighton) "The performance was spellbinding and illuminating. I found myself moved by the depth of this piece… It seemed timeless, with so much packed in to the 55 minutes running time that it seemed to be more - in a very good way. I suspect that this piece is like an onion. (You'll need to see it to get that reference!) Many layered and well worth seeing several times.” (Jon, Worthing) "To say a performance is stunning is such a cliche, however Simon Lovat recreating Dog the Artist in my own living room had that effect. A play that walks through Dog's life making it personal and moving. Highly recommended. " (Ed, London) "We were unsure what to expect from a one-person play and we were really impressed! We thought Simon Lovat was superb and that the play was so, so good!!" (Holly, Brighton) "I was lucky enough to host Are Strings Attached? and I can thoroughly recommend it. A play in your home, how cool is that? And on themes that emerge effortlessly from a fully realised character, involving the art of graffiti, the pressure to succeed, growing up and becoming free. Nice!" (Simon T. Brighton) "The performance of Simon Lovat was incredible" (Julia & Ed, Brighton) "We really loved it. Everyone was very impressed. Can't wait for the next one! We thought the way he wove the different ideas into the play was very skilful." (Michelle, Brighton) |
