2011-2013
In April 2013, Chris Goode & Company celebrated its second birthday. As our third year sees us increasing the scale and ambition of work we’re making, we wanted to mark and celebrate the key achievements of the company’s first two years. Chris Goode & Company was formed to provide a new framework for Chris Goode’s original theatre and performance work. The company is an ongoing collaboration between lead artist Chris Goode and producer Ric Watts, alongside a fluid, constantly evolving ensemble of performers, designers and makers. At the core of this ensemble is a small team of associate artists with whom the company works more frequently and with whom it has developed particularly fruitful relationships. The company develops original and exploratory theatre projects across a variety of contexts. The work focuses on ensemble-based and participatory processes, and on formally innovative but accessible approaches to documentary and storytelling.
Associate Artists Angela Clerkin, Wendy Hubbard, James Lewis, Jonny Liron, Pauline Mayers, and Jamie Wood Critic in Residence Maddy Costa Advisory Board Lilli Geissendorfer (Almeida) Wendy Hubbard (QMUL) Judith Knight (Artsadmin) Emma Stenning (Bristol Old Vic) Martin Sutherland (Royal & Derngate)
chrisgoodeandcompany.co.uk @chrisgoodeandco chrisgoodeandco.podbean.com
Between April 2011 and March 2013, Chris Goode & Company:
Created SIX brand new shows Where We Meet, Keep Breathing, GOD/HEAD, 9, Monkey Bars and The Forest & The Field
Ran development workshops exploring FOUR major new ideas The End of the World Filmed by the Angel of Notre-Dame Tom’s Kettle The Witch of Edmonton Albemarle
Toured Two Back catalogue shows around the UK The Adventures Of WOund Man & Shirley Hippo World Guest book
Recorded SIXTEEN episodes of the Thompson’s Live podcast With guests including: ANDY FIELD Stella Duffy,
Created a new participatory devising format Open house (Transform, West Yorkshire playhouse And Mayfest, bristol)
Wendy Houstoun, Phelim McDermott, Ursula Martinez, Dan Rebellato Rajni Shah
Over this period, Chris Goode & Company has:
Presented 140 performances – ranging from intimate shows for 2 people to sell-out Edinburgh runs.
Played to a total audience of 9000, with a further 6000 global listeners to our podcasts.
Between April 2011 and March 2013, the company turned over £184,571:
35 30
32% 28%
25
21%
19%
20 15 10 5 0
28% of this income came from performance fees or box office (£51,298)
32% of this income came from co-production income or commissions (£59,473)
21% of this income came from Arts Council England via Grants for the Arts (£38,800)
19% of this income came from other trusts and foundations (£35,000)
The key partners for our work between April 2011 and March 2013 were:
Arts Council England Touchstone Trust
Jerwood Charitable Foundation
Unicorn Theatre
Drum Theatre Plymouth National Theatre Studio
Traverse Theatre
Warwick Arts Centre
Ovalhouse
Theatre in the Mill
Camden People’s Theatre Live Theatre
West Yorkshire Playhouse
Take Off
The Brewhouse Mayfest
Theatre Hullaballoo
University of Cambridge
Schtanhaus
Jerwood Space
BAC
Key highlights of 2011-2013 programme: Monkey Bars An Fringe-First-winning verbatim show, placing the words of 7-10 year old children into the mouths of adults to reveal what children really say that we don’t hear. (Traverse Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, national touring - 2012)
“ Startling, funny and heartbreaking... It’s utterly joyous, often provocative and extraordinarily moving. Wise and wondrous stuff ” Sam Marlowe, The Times
The Forest & The Field A gently seductive piece of non-fictional storytelling reflecting on the transformative potential of theatre. (Ovalhouse, touring - 2013)
“ A brilliant performance on theatre, as likely to move as it is to provoke.” Stewart Pringle, Exuent
9 An evening of nine solo performances created by nine non-professional participants from West Yorkshire taking an amazing leap into the unknown. (West Yorkshire Playhouse - 2012)
“ It is extraordinary and watching it has completely changed my understanding of what theatre is capable of.” Matt Trueman, Carousel of Fantasies
GOD/HEAD A candid and unsettling non-fiction piece exploring the flipside of the familiar crisis of faith – what if there really is a God after all? (Ovalhouse, Theatre in the Mill, touring - 2012)
“ This piece of devised theatre is as close to divine as anyone could pray for on a rainy night in South London.” Daniel Yates, Exuent
Keep Breathing Evolving interactive documentary storytelling that looks at what can be found, said and shared in the space of a single breath. (Drum Theatre Plymouth - 2011)
“ Offbeat, deceptively simple but profoundly rich piece… it feels as if you’ve been invited into somebody’s sitting room to share something precious.” Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley An intimate story about two unlikely friends – a hapless superhero and his teen sidekick – and the adventures they share. (BAC, national touring - 2011)
“ Goode is a star of intelligent leftfield theatre and this deft, gentle piece of invention shows why” Caroline McGinn, Time Out
New work upcoming includes: Monkey Bars Further national touring (national venues, Autumn 2013)
The Forest & The Field Further national touring (national venues, Spring 2014)
Mad Man An adaptation after Gogol’s classic, produced by Drum Theatre Plymouth (2014)
STAND A verbatim show about everyday bravery produced in partnership with Oxford Playhouse (2014)
Men in the Cities Brand new storytelling show, made for the Edinburgh Festival (2014)
Albemarle A large scale devised work about dreams, glimpses and Utopian politics (developed at BAC and West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2013, premiering in 2014)
Plus a number of other new works currently at an early stage of development
Others on Chris Goode & Company
“ A theatre maker of infinite talent and infinite compassion” Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“ Chris Goode has been one of the driving forces of experimental theatre for as long as I can remember. His work has great intellectual rigour, deep emotional impact and is made with a beautifully honed sense of craft. Very few theatre makers can match Chris’ insight into and dedication to the medium. No one has moved me more in a theatre.” Ed Collier, China Plate Theatre / Warwick Arts Centre
“Chris had a wonderful way of being, not exactly secretive, but just thoughtful, and not ever promising anything. The way he works… has been a wonderful example of how somebody can get the best out of people.” Marg Greenwood, participant in ‘9’.
“ When Chris Goode first came to talk to me about Monkey Bars, it was immediately obvious that this was going to be that rare thing: something completely new. In the years I’ve known Chris and his work, that is his trademark; if having no trademark can be a trademark - his creative mind is versatile, intelligent, thoughtful and completely original. His work with his company is meticulous, deliberate and full of life. He is one of the few artists I follow not just professionally but also as a private individual theatre goer, and long may the relationship between CG&Co and the Unicorn continue.” Purni Morrell, Unicorn Theatre
“ The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley was definately my favourite “non-comedy” thing i saw in the festival, possibly my favourite thing full stop. It is very funny in parts, but also lovely, tingle inducing, moving, nostalgic, hopeful, unique and brave. Bloody great. Really good. Made me happy and sad at the same time. Which is very nice indeed.” Daniel Kitson
“West Yorkshire Playhouse’s collaboration with Chris Goode & Company, firstly through ‘Open House’, and then ‘9’, has undoubtedly been one of the most inspiring and meaningful relationships for the Playhouse over the last few years. The company’s collaborative ethos and ability to genuinely connect with audiences and other theatre makers, as well as the theatre organisations themselves - is resulting in some of the most thoughtful and brilliant work within current theatre practice” Amy Letman, West Yorkshire Playhouse
“ A star of intelligent, leftfield theatre’ Time Out
Photography by: Richard Davenport Scott Salt Ed Collier Rob Ditcher Paul Blakemore Malcolm Phillips Š Chris Goode & Company 2013
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