Proto-type Theatre's Political Plays Continue Tour

Extra dates for hit shows THE AUDIT (or Iceland, a modern myth) and A Machine They're Secretly Building

Proto-type Theatre take their two plays examining contemporary political issues, The Audit (or Iceland, a modern myth) and A Machine They're Secretly Building, back on the road this autumn.

Both shows combine original text and classified intelligence documents, film, animation and specially composed music to inform, entertain and challenge.

THE AUDIT (or Iceland, a modern myth) looks at the human cost of the corporate and personal greed that consumes countries - and tells how one small nation raised their voices in protest to rail against the currents. How can a small island nation survive when it is going it alone with economic relationships? (Sound familiar in pre Brexit Britain?). In a world where the driving force behind nearly every decision that affects our daily lives is profit THE AUDIT is about finding strength, overcoming a world designed to keep us docile, and seeks to show that collective power can move a mountain - even if only a little.

A Machine they're Secretly Building, examines government surveillance. The show takes in the 1972 chess world championships between Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union; a disco in Oklahoma; the cafeteria at CERN [the European organisation for nuclear research]; the erosion of privacy and Edward Snowden, former Central Intelligence Agency employee turned whistle-blower. It charts a course from the secrets of WWI intelligence through to 9/11 and the terror of a future that might already be upon us.

'A Machine They're Secretly Building is about how we got to the point where our governments are spying on us and how that's changing who we are,' said writer and director Andrew Westerside.

Both these lively and fun shows are written and directed by Westerside and devised and performed by Rachel Baynton and Gillian Lees, with digital design from Adam York Gregory ('so seamlessly incorporated into the action it's almost another performer' Exeunt) and original music and sound design by Paul J Rogers.

Rachel said 'We conceived The Audit as a companion piece to A Machine, throughout our investigations for that show we kept coming back to the unavoidable truth that money is behind everything.'

Gillian added 'In researching the show, we spoke to academic economics experts as well as with special interest and community groups across the country to share experiences and discuss the profit motive that is behind the decisions and systems that govern our daily lives.'

As part of their research Gillian and Rachel visited Canary Wharf to look at art on display in the major banks' foyers. They were ejected from Barclays, despite brandishing their company Barclaycard to identify as customers. 'It's art' announced the security guard sternly 'it's not on display to be looked at'.

Proto-type are a company of multi-disciplinary artists led by Rachel Baynton, Gillian Lees, and Andrew Westerside. The company has been making work and supporting young artists in the US, the Netherlands, Russia, China, Armenia, France, Zimbabwe and the UK since 1997. www.proto-type.org

The Audit (or Iceland, a modern myth)

New lively and fun show from acclaimed company Proto-type Theater tells the story of how a nation raised their voices in protest, and how collective power can move a mountain - even if only a little.

'The brilliance of Proto-type's approach is to engage, inform and entertain ... they exude warmth and wit' Live Art Alive

Age 14+ 60 minutes, no interval.

Tuesday 4 September, 7.45pm

Harrogate

Harrogate Studio Theatre, 6 Oxford Street, Harrogate HG1 1QF

£12/10 01423 502116 www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

Thursday 6 September, 7.45pm

Leeds

Carriageworks Theatre, The Electric Press, 3 Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD

£13, £11 concs 0113 3760318 www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk

Also A Machine They're Secretly Building Wednesday 5 September. £13, £11 concs Joint ticket £20 for both shows

Monday 10 September, 7.45pm

Southampton

Southampton Nuffield Theatres City, 142-144 Bar Street, Southampton, SO14 7DU

£14/10 02380 671771 www.nstheatres.co.uk

Friday 19 October, 7.30pm

Falmouth,

Academy of Music and Theatre (AMATA), Famouth University, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9LX

£15/£10 01326 259349 www.amata.org.uk

Wednesday 24 Oct 7.30pm

Cambridge

Cambridge Junction, Clifton Way, Cambridge, CB1 7GX

£12.50 (£8 concs) 01223 511 511 www.junction.co.uk

Wednesday 26 October, 20.45pm

Leicester

Inside Out Festival, The Curve, Rutland Street. Leicester, LE1 1TQ

£10, £7.65 members 0116 242 3595 www.curveonline.co.uk

Tuesday 6 November, 7.30pm

Crewe Axis Arts Centre, Cheshire Campus, Manchester Metropolitan University, Crewe Green Road, Crewe, CW1 5DU

£8 (£5 concs) 08432 080500 www.axisartscentre.org.uk

A Machine They're Secretly Building

Using original text, classified intelligence documents, with film and original music Proto-type Theater speak up, speak out, and blow the whistle on global surveillance. They chart a course from the secrets of WWI intelligence through to 9/11 and the terror of a future that might already be upon us.

Age 14+ 60 minutes, no interval.

Wednesday 5 September, 7.45pm

Leeds

Carriageworks Theatre, The Electric Press, 3 Millenniuim Square, Leeds LS2 3AD

£13, (£11 concs) 0113 3760318 www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk

Also The Audit (or Iceland, a modern myth) Thursday 6 September. £13, £11 concs Joint ticket £20 for both shows

Wednesday 7 November, 8pm

Sheffield, (Enable Us Project) Drama Studio, Shearwood Rood, Sheffield S10 2TD

£10, (£8 concs) www.enableus.group.shef.ac.uk

The tour will continue into 2019

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