GAMES INTO PERFORMANCE

As a theatre company of Sanctuary, one of our aims is to provide a platform for expression that will be accessible to all. With this in mind, as part of our Together Workshops, we keep inventing and adapting theatre/Clowning games so that people from all ages and abilities can take part, whether they speak English or not. With 'Hang Out To Dry'  we turned our games into a staged performance.

'Hang Out To Dry' was our first experience of turning games into a full length show. It was devised over 10 days involving over 20 participants. 12 of them currently seeking asylum in the UK.  Some people attended the whole creation period, some others were only able to join in for a couple of afternoons but all were on stage! Games  into Performance format allows this flexibility.  We had over 10 nationalities in the room, age range from 6 to 70+ and... a dog!

This project was supported by Arts Council England, The Cockpit, The Park Theatre, The Southwark Playhouse and the Young Vic.

"How are you doing?" Tough times right? We thought it was time to take some time for self care and coming together. So, on the backdrop of Refugee Week's theme this year "Community as a super power" We aim to create a new audience participatory show with the precious support of our dear community :friends who are seeking asylum in the UK, applied theatre makers, clowns and mental health practitioners. It will be a "Games into performance show" addressing mental heath struggles and coping resources we can find within clowning & visual poetry and more importantly through coming together.

Please come and join us on the 25th f May 2025 at the Cockpit Theatre! And send us an email here if you are keen to be part of this project. Please put "How are you doing in the title. Thanks!

Games are wonderful to bond a group and generate playfulness in the room. It is also a great way to jump on stage with stake, rhythm, energy and a sense of ensemble work. It doesn't require any acting skills and erases all stage fright. An example?: Grand mother's footstep with people trying to cross being people in Calais and Grand-ma being Home Office. A starting point for letting the stories & talents of the groups shine through song writing, music, dance, set & props making (someone in our group tried to cross carrying many boxes with his dreams of a new life in the UK  "love" "work" "new friends" "Hope" "Peace". Of course they kept falling over during the journey...)

Playfulness is contagious and we found out that audience members are very keen to join the games as long as the stage feels like a friendly & fun place to go on to. Our clowning / comedy approach that breaks the 4th wall helps a lot!

Thanks to the Young Vic's support we had 100 free tickets to give away to people who would take part in the games, that was a great incentive as well!