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The Farm Brings COCKFIGHT to Storyhouse This Weekend
By: BWW News Desk Oct. 04, 2017
Straight from their critically acclaimed dance performances in Australia, Cockfight heads to Storyhouse this weekend for one performance only.
When Australian dance and physical theatre duo Gavin Webber and Joshua Thomson from dance company The Farm were creating their new work about male rivalry they found inspiration in the UK - from the hit television series The Office.
Cockfight comes to Storyhouse this Saturday (7 October) at 7.30pm, in association with Performing Lines & NORPA (Australia) and Dance Touring Partnership.
The Farm presents the first UK tour of Cockfight - an exhilarating duet of slow-motion fight sequences; extreme physical theatre that explores male behaviour; and intergenerational conflicts. And also with a nod to the award-winning British comedy show The Office.
Gavin and Joshua's dance collaboration goes back to 2003 when Gavin, then director of Australian company Dancenorth, visited Queensland University of Technology - where Joshua was a student. Joshua went on to become an ensemble artist with Dancenorth and the two men have worked together on different projects ever since.
Cockfight was prompted by the relationship between the two performers and reflections on the difference between their ages - Gavin is aged 50 and Joshua is 33-years-old. When they began exploring intergenerational relationships and the conflict which can arise, an office provided the background they needed - and Brent the ideal role model.
The Ricky Gervais comedy in which character David Brent is everyone's worst nightmare of a boss gave them the perfect setting to play out their piece. Focusing on the conflict between two men, one older and one younger, their new production Cockfight takes place amid filing cabinets, desks, anglepoise lamps and desks.
Joshua explained: "We'd both seen The Office and it's awesome. We loved it - especially that dry humour, that really awkward humour - there's a lot of that in what we do. Making a character as unlikeable as David Brent is not an easy thing to do - it made you so uncomfortable but you just had to keep watching it. I feel like British and Australian humour are very similar but there are some differences so it will be interesting to see the reaction to our piece in the UK."
Gavin added: "The show is quite emotional in a lot of ways for people to watch. And there's not always a divide - you can be watching something and finding it very funny while at the same time you are grimacing at the horror of it. Often laughter is a nice way to open a response up in an audience so playing with that edge of humour is something we have been fascinated with."
Cockfight ends with a 'tie dance' - and the team are inviting theatregoers to donate a tie when they come to see the show.
The performers go through two ties per night plus rehearsal ties. So for the UK tour they will use 26 ties for the performances and a total of around 42 ties for shows and rehearsals. And there are always spare ties in the wardrobe! Bring along any good condition ties and yours could feature in a future performance of Cockfight.
Kate Harman, Julian Louis, Joshua Thomson and Gavin Webber co-direct Cockfight for The Farm. Lighting design is by Mark Howett, sound design by Luke Smiles, and set design by Joshua Thomson with consultation from Joey Ruigrok.
Originally commissioned by NORPA and supported by Dancenorth, Townsville; the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Cairns (COCA); Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts, and toured by Performing Lines. The Farm is supported by the Gold Coast City Council. The UK tour is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Tickets are priced from £16.50. Storyhouse has a dynamic pricing policy on the majority of shows, ensuring the earlier you book your tickets, guarantees the best seats at the lowest price.
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