People Show Presents THE LAST STRAW

People Show 130: The Last Straw features an anonymous man and woman trying to pin down facts, any facts. Imprisoned by the bombardment of modern media and sheltering from disaster, they are forced to guess at what might be true in a world of fake news. Inspired by the very real communications overload we face on a daily basis, this is a visually arresting, tongue-in-cheek look at how to survive with your sanity intact. With the facts lying shredded on the floor around us, where should we focus and how do we know what's true?

Gareth Brierley from People Show said: "When we sat in the rehearsal room on the first day of rehearsal on a cold February morning, we had nothing. Not one bit of text, not one nice image, no catchy upbeat song, absolutely nothing. What we did have was our daily responses to the world at that precise moment and what was occurring every day in front of our eyes. Hate, fear, doubt, fake news, and a constant worry about the wifi were the pertinent influences smacking us in the face for three weeks. We made a show that reflected this world at that time, from a slightly askew angle that covered the global and the local anxieties combined. It was funny, visually beautiful and in it, we produced a stunning soundtrack that is an honour to listen to in every run through. In three weeks we produced a show from nothing, people came and it was fine, we didn't die and the world didn't collapse. It was a risk, but everything feels risky at the moment and on stage I wouldn't want it any other way"

The Last Straw is being performed ahead of the company's return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August, their first festival show following the Herald Angel award-winning The Detective Show (People Show 121) in 2012. The show was originally devised and previewed at Ovalhouse in February 2017 as part of the company's 50th Anniversary programme and was nominated for a London Off West End award (Offie) in 2018.

People Show's 50th anniversary book Nobody Knows but Everybody Remembers chronicles the collective's work and is available at the LADA bookshop (Unbound) https://www.thisisunbound.co.uk/products/people-show

Formed in 1966, People Show has been creating devised performances in theatres, in telephone boxes, on streets, even on water, for five decades, and its radically disruptive influence has made a major contribution to the current theatre landscape.

Today People Show are a core group of seven artists who work together, and also independently, with a much wider network of Associate Artists who have been, and continue to be, involved with the company on a show by show basis.

People Show have always numbered their shows, starting with no. 1 in 1966.

Originally developed with and supported by Arts Council England.

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