You are hereThe Licensees
The Licensees
About
Steve Ryan and Edward Rapley have been performing together as The Licensees since 2005. Mixing theatrical narrative with circus discipline from corde lisse and clowning to live art and pervasive games.
The Licensees' next project involves us both working together and leaving the stage, to head outside and play some games.
We are currently exploring pervasive games, that is big games which take place across a city or a campus, inside a building or through a wood. In the simplest sense this can be a game of 'It' or hide and seek which takes place within a city square or building, or it can be more involved such as a game of chase with
site specific check points through a city at night.
Our ultimate aim is to curate, facilitate and tour a 2 day festival of games. At the moment we are testing out different games here in bristol and we are looking for development opportunities, basically time and space where we can try out a game with members of the public. Details of the first game we are running can be found at
http://www.residence.org.uk/content/journey-middle-night
If you are interested then get in touch.
Our previous work has all been for the stage and to date we have produced 3 shows:
1. The Dinner Set
A dark 15 minute piece of cabaret inspired performance, in which the two performers are different aspects of the same person.
2. By Their Legs And By Their Necks
Based on Plato's simile of the cave, this half hour show explores the power of knowledge and the struggle for truth.
3. 10 Ways to Die on Stage
Their latest piece is a solo show written and performed by Edward and with direction by Steve. Meet the man behind the moustache, but remember: being in the audience doesn't mean you're safe. It might just make you think it's good to be alive.
10 Ways... is currently audience ready and versions of this show have played to great reactions at Jumble It Up (Oxford), You and Your Work 2 (Bristol) and Pilot 12 (Birmingham), The Arnolfini (Bristol),and Warwick Arts Centre (Coventry).
We are looking for more opportunities to show '10 Ways' at the moment so get in touch.
Next!
The wheels of progress are ever turning, always onwards, often upwards, often downwards, occasionally sideways.
So it is that this weekend The Licensees will again be performing their solo show: 10 Ways to Die on Stage. Check out www.artheatre.co.uk/home.htm for more details.
It's going to be the last act in the main space on Friday and Saturday.
Rehearsals are also under way for The Juniper Tree, a site specific, theatre event by The Wonder Club. I'm part of it, I'll be playing the miller and it promises to be a beauty.
10 Ways to Die at Artheatre too
Bit of a showcase event, so there will be a bunch of different acts, the last of which will be 10 Ways to Die on Stage.
Check out artheatre.co.uk for more details.
10 Ways to Die at Artheatre
Bit of a showcase event, so there will be a bunch of different acts, the last of which will be 10 Ways to Die on Stage.
Check out artheatre.co.uk for more details.
A Very Good Night...
The Warwick Arts Centre is massive, I hadn't realised just how big the complex was, so it was a bit of a shock when i got there (I have made a point now to do a bit more research on upcoming venues).
First up were The Plasticine Men, with a wild and rolling work in progress called Cargo, based around the Cargo cult which sprang up as a result of the influence of the US military upon indigenous pacific islanders. Full of beautiful ideas and lovely moments, the piece felt like it needed to be structured more and developed in terms of an overall arc.
Warwick Arts Centre is in Coventry!
Now that is something I did not know, so i will need to buy a ticket from Warwick to Coventry, whoops.
Why does this matter? Because I'm performing there this Thursday. It's going to be 10 Ways to Die on Stage, and I am really looking forward to it.
Also on the bill are fellow members of Residence: Action Hero. who will be doing their "A Western" show in the bar. The Plasticine Men (= Simon Day + Spanner) are also in the house and they will be presenting Cargo.
It should be a rocking night. Tell your friends in the midlands!
Onwards to Edinburgh!
With any luck I'm going to be taking !0 Ways... up to the Edinburgh Fringe this year.
I'm feeling rather excited. I think that the show should go down well up there. I will keep everyone updated about how it goes.
Good Shit From Bristol
I'm very happy with how well the performance went on Saturday night. It was the best thing I have ever done.
I would like to thank Steve Ryan & Holly Stoppit for discipline and direction, Rob Coxall for getting me to run the show 20 times in one weekend, Helen & Tim at the Arnolfini for taking a gamble and all the folks who made it down for being such a wonderful audience.
Now the plan is to get the work out there, it would be great to get together an informal tour. If there are any programmers out there who are interested then get in touch.
Here's to 2008!
Pilot 12 Photos
I have a new batch of photos from the Pilot 12 back in September, the performance that night was good, and the photos are great so check them out. Again many thanks to Simon, Katie and Jane, as well as the folks at theliftcreativeservices.com for the photos.
