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Teatro Vivo is a site specific theatre company formed in south London, England, in 2005 by theatre director Sophie Austin. The company has expanded from its London base and performed shows in Oxford, Berkshire, Devon and Dorset as well as maintaining a strong presence in London. It creates both new work and adaptations with an element of audience participation, in non-theatre spaces and outdoor venues.[1]

Major works by the company include The Odyssey (2012) on the streets of Deptford, London; Supermarket Shakespeare (2008–10), a series of stories based on Shakespeare plays in Sainsbury's supermarkets across London and Here But There, a retelling of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters (2006/7) in the now defunct Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. Lyn Gardner writing in The Guardian described the production of Adventures in Wonderland (2013) as "full of raggle-taggle invention, and its cleverness lies in the way it casts the audience as co-conspirators."[2]

Theatre writer Sarah Sigal[3] says Teatro Vivo is an ensemble "focussed on the centrality of the actor/performer's contribution to the process of theatre making and a kind of collaboration wherein all company members make significant contributions to the process."[4]

The Guardian, in an editorial on the company's work said:

Almost anywhere is a possible stage for this most creative of theatre groups. The challenge they set themselves is to break free of tradition, reinterpret the classics and collaborate with their often youthful audience. It is a conspiracy to entertain and provoke that invites the onlooker to be co-conspirator. Absolutely not the West End. Take a raincoat.[5]

Overview

Theatre director Sophie Austin formed the company immediately after graduating from the B.A in Theatre Directing Course at Rose Bruford College, London:

"My aim was to create theatre with like minded creatives who enjoyed making work for a new audiences. I had no money for rehearsal space or theatre hire so we had our first meeting in a café and staged our first play in a park. What started out as a budgetary constraint became a central ethos for the company. By performing in these public spaces we were able to reach a really diverse audience and by collaborating with these spaces to tell a story, we were challenged and inspired in equal measure."[6]

Will Close in Teatro Vivo's The Odyssey in Deptford, London 2012

Austin's key collaborators since the first production have been Mark Stevenson, who responded to an advert placed in local arts venues in Lewisham, where Austin lived, Laura Hooper and Kas Darley.

The company have formed working partnerships with The Albany Theatre, Deptford, with whom they are an associate company,[7] Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre (GLYPT),[8] and Dash Arts.[9][10]

Austin stepped down as artistic director in July 2019, with Stevenson and Darley becoming joint artistic directors.[11][12][13]

In response to lockdown restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 the company put on a special set of online performances of their show the Grimms Collecting Agency, in which they advertised for people to be interviewed. The ‘Grimms’ met people on Zoom and listened to their stories about life under lockdown.[14] This was the first time the company had produced a filmic piece.

In June 2021 the company staged their first production in Dorset, an adaptation of the legend of Ondine at St Catherine's Chapel in Abbotsbury.[15]

In 2021 Teatro Vivo created The Regulars in collaboration with the INN CROWD,[16] a show specifically designed for performance in pubs through 2021 and 2022. There were performances in Dorset and Somerset, and for the first time the company performed in the north of England, in Preston and Blackburn, Lancashire.[17][18]

On March 18, 2022, Teatro Vivo were announced as Artists of Change alongside Dima Karout. Artists of Change is a new programme of arts residencies, developed in collaboration with Lewisham Council, for its tenure as Borough of Culture.[19][20]

Selected productions

Production Based on/adapted from Venue Directed by Year
Doing what Lovers Do Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Manor House Gardens, Hither Green Sophie Austin 2005
Lovers and Liars Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Manor House Gardens, Hither Green Sophie Austin 2006
Here but There Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov Manor House Library, Lewisham and The Theatre Museum, Covent Garden Sophie Austin October 2006 and June 2007
Hothouse[21] Devised Arcola Theatre, Dalston; Bakehouse Theatre, Blackheath; Horniman Museum, Forest Hill; Albany Theatre, Lewisham Sophie Austin November 2008 and September 2009
Supermarket Shakespeare[22] Based on the plays of William Shakespeare Sainsbury's, Lee Green; Sainsbury's, New Cross; Sainsbury's Forest Hill; Sainsbury's, Lewisham Sophie Austin April 2008

April 2009

April 2010

The Odyssey[23] Written by Vic Bryson, Sarah Sigal and Michael Wagg; based on Odyssey by Homer Urban promenade performance in Deptford, London Sophie Austin June and September 2012
After the Tempest[24] The Tempest by William Shakespeare staged in five parks across London Sophie Austin Summer 2013
Adventures in Wonderland[25] Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Manor House Library, Lewisham; Catford Broadway Theatre; The Story Museum, Oxford and the Watermill Theatre, Newbury Sophie Austin October 2010

July 2011

March 2012

July 2013

Mother Courage and Her Children Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht The Royal Arsenal site, Woolwich Sophie Austin September 2013
The Hunter's Grimm[26] Grimms' Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm; additional writing by Michael Wagg Deptford Library; Newbury Watermill; Stratford, London and Catford Broadway Theatre Sophie Austin 2014 and 2019
The Residents[27] Written by Teatro Vivo and Michael Wagg Various houses in London Sophie Austin 2016
Twistov[28] Written by Michael Wagg; inspired by Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens The streets of Shoreditch, London Sophie Austin October 2017
Evelyn's Roots Written by Bernadette Russell & Gareth Brierley The streets of Evelyn Ward, Deptford Sophie Austin July 2018
The House That Slipped[29] Devised Online performances Mark Stevenson August 2020
Ondine Vic Bryson, based on the legend of Ondine St Catherine's Chapel, Abbotsbury, Dorset Mark Stevenson June 2021
Dangerous Games[30] Vic Bryson, based on Les Liaisons dangereuses Deptford, London and Weymouth, Dorset Mark Stevenson and Kas Darley March and April 2023

References

  1. ↑ Sigal, Sarah (2016-11-04). Writing in Collaborative Theatre-Making. Macmillan International Higher Education. ISBN 978-1-137-33170-0.
  2. ↑ "Adventures in Wonderland – review". The Guardian. 2013-07-09. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  3. ↑ "Home". Sarah Sigal. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  4. ↑ Sigal, Sarah (2016-11-04). Writing in Collaborative Theatre-Making. Macmillan International Higher Education. ISBN 978-1-137-33170-0.
  5. ↑ "In praise of … Teatro Vivo | Editorial". The Guardian. 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  6. ↑ "Sophie Austin: Teatro Vivo | ThisWeek London". Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  7. ↑ "Teatro Vivo". The Albany, Deptford. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  8. ↑ Read, Tim (2014-10-19). "People's theatre: sharing in the community". Everything Theatre. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  9. ↑ "DASH ARTS". DASH ARTS. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  10. ↑ "TEATRO VIVO & DASH ARTS: TWISTOV DRAMA WORKSHOP AT PUSHKIN HOUSE". Pushkin House. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  11. ↑ "Our History". TEATRO VIVO. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  12. ↑ "Austin leaves Teatro Vivo". ArtsProfessional. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  13. ↑ "Austin leaves Teatro Vivo". ArtsProfessional. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  14. ↑ "The Croydonist talk to Teatro Vivo about their film for Croydonites 2020". Croydonist. 2020-05-21. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  15. ↑ "Theatre group to 'take over' village with performance". Bridport and Lyme Regis News. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  16. ↑ "Live performances in pubs". Inn Crowd. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  17. ↑ "Teatro Vivo: The Regulars". Inn Crowd. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  18. ↑ Ltd, Supercool (2022-04-26). "The Regulars Teatro Vivo". Artsreach. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  19. ↑ "Teatro Vivo and Dima Karout announced as Artists of Change - programme part of Lewisham Borough of Culture". Counterpoints Arts. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  20. ↑ "Artists of Change". Lewisham. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  21. ↑ "Theatre review: Hothouse at Horniman Museum". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  22. ↑ "Supermarket Shakespeare | Theatre review". The Guardian. 2010-05-11. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  23. ↑ "The Odyssey – review". The Guardian. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  24. ↑ "Theatre review: After the Tempest at Holland Park". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  25. ↑ "Adventures in Wonderland – review". The Guardian. 2013-07-09. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  26. ↑ "Theatre review: The Hunters Grimm at Deptford Lounge, the streets of Deptford and The Albany". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  27. ↑ "The Residents review – London ghost story is more snooze than scream". The Guardian. 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  28. ↑ "Review: Twistov (Rich Mix, Bethnal Green) | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  29. ↑ "The week in theatre: Fanny and Stella; The House That Slipped; Alice: A Virtual Theme Park – review". The Guardian. 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  30. ↑ Waywell, Chris. "'Dangerous Games' | Theatre in London". Time Out London. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
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