How To Play A Room (2017)

What is normal?

Concocting a surreal world where rules are turned and things are not what they seem, this work exposes our arbitrary views of identity through absurdity and comic misinterpretation.

Devised in collaboration with the performers, we draw inspiration from the musicality of clowns, improvisers, dada and experiences of hybrid identity.

R&D was inspired by the research I led in Foley Lab: experimenting with the intertwining of musicality and dancing. How To Play A Room has been presented at The Place for Resolution festival (2017) and Sounds Between festival (2016), with support from Music Composition as Interdisciplinary Practice, a network looking at how musicality seeps into other artistic worlds, including dance, theatre and science.

…a celebration of cultural fluidity…
– Nicholas Minns (writingaboutdance.com)

Direction, Choreography and Sound Design: Jan Lee
Performers: Thelma Sharma, Danai Pappa, Katsura Isobe
Dramaturg: Nicholas Minns
Costume Design: Elisa Nader
Lighting Design: Lucy Hansom
Clown/Comedy Consultant: Peta Lily
Photography: Chantal Guevara, Tim Murray-Browne