Clod Ensemble Presents UNDER GLASS

This autumn marks the return of one of Clod Ensemble's most iconic works, a distinctive promenade production which sits somewhere between immersive installation and staged performance. Originally commissioned by Sadler's Wells, Under Glass has been described as a cross between a museum exhibit and a medical laboratory.

Winner of the 2009 Total Theatre Award for Physical and Visual Theatre, Under Glass sees Clod Ensemble co-founders, director Suzy Willson and composer Paul Clark collaborate with TEd Hughes award-winning poet Alice Oswald, whose specially commissioned text is woven into the fabric of the score.

Audiences encounter a series of seven glass containers holding eight performers. The performers appear almost as specimens; a woman in a jam jar, a couple negotiating their space in a bed-like Petri dish, a shy 'wallflower' pinned behind a glass panel, a man clock-watching in his office, a woman on the phone in a test tube observing the disintegration of village life.

Sound and light work together to guide the audience throughout the space, sometimes coming within inches of the performers - witnessing their moments of solitude exquisitely framed from dozens of different perspectives.

Clod Ensemble's productions often evolve over many years - this incarnation of Under Glass reworks both music and movement and sees new performers re-imagine each vessel and container.

Artistic Director Suzy Willson said: "It is a real privilege to see performers so close up, and experience such an intimate observation of another person. This Autumn a new company of performers will be on display or 'under glass' - each one encouraging us to reflect not only on what and who we are looking at but also on how we are looking."

The Lowry performances of Under Glass will be presented as part of the Manchester Science Festival and accompanied by a season of talks and events to be announced over the summer. These activities will draw out the themes in the work, encouraging audiences to contemplate ideas around the medical gaze, and how we view our own and each other's bodies, from both scientific and artistic perspectives. Similar talks and events will also be programmed in London and Cardiff.

Clod Ensemble is one of the UK's most prominent performance companies. For over two decades, director Suzy Willson and composer Paul Clark have developed a highly original performance language, creating provocative, finely crafted work, ambitious in scale and concept. The company works at the intersection of different forms and disciplines - at the point where they meet, transform and challenge each other to become something new. Clod Ensemble collaborate with dancers, actors, musicians, medics, architects and orchestras. The company has been presented in London, across the UK and internationally in theatres, dance houses, galleries and public spaces including Sadler's Wells, Tate Modern, The Lowry Salford, Wales Millennium Centre, Serralves Museum Porto and Public Theater New York.

Suzy Willson is a leading performance director and choreographer and has built a reputation for creating award-winning performances across theatre, dance and visual arts throughout UK and internationally. Suzy has directed all Clod Ensemble productions to date and repeatedly brought performance to new audiences, though research and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Paul Clark is a leading British theatre composer and has written ambitious, critically acclaimed scores for all of Clod Ensemble's productions. His music has been performed at international venues and festivals such as Lincoln Center New York, Vienna Burgtheater, Avignon Festival, Berlin Schaubühne and Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg, through collaborations with Gare St Lazare Ireland and director Katie Mitchell.

@clodensemble | /ClodEnsemble | www.clodensemble.com

Running Time: 45 minutes | Suitable for ages 12+

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