23.07.2008
Fringe 2008
THEATRE WORKSHOP EDINBURGH PRESENTS
Festival Fringe 08
Fringe programme at Theatre Workshop Edinburgh, July 31-August 26 2008
TV AND FILM STAR HAILS SHARMANKA AS THEY GET SET TO APPEAR IN THE FRINGE FESTIVAL FOR THE FIRST TIME
Well known British actor Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love, The Phantom of the Opera) has praised the work of SHARMANKA – ‘SHARMANKA keeps the flame of theatre burning bright, producing in those who see it those same emotions of awe and wonder and imaginative engagement that are of the essence of the theatrical experience.’
Edinburgh July 23 2008: Having been introduced to SHARMANKA by a friend, Simon Callow became a firm fan of Eduard Bersudsky’s work. In a statement he wrote as an introduction to their latest catalogue, Callow states ‘It evolves constantly and surprisingly, and Eduard and Tatyana have become the most brilliant impresarios in the land. I envy Scotland its priceless mechanical playhouse.’
SHARMANKA will perform their show Wheels of Life four times daily at Theatre Workshop. Wheels of Life features wooden marionettes and scrap metal that dance to music and light. The pieces are early and new works by one of the great underground artists of Communist Russia, Eduard Bersudsky. Theatre Workshop is delighted to be working with SHARMANKA again, after the success of their recent tour of Beckett’s Endgame.
SHARMANKA’s Director Tatyana Jakovskaya says “Making a stage set for Theatre Workshop production of Endgame last year was an exciting project for SHARMANKA and we are happy to be back with a big company of kinetic sculptures, performing a mechanical ballet Wheels of Life. It took 15 years for Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre to negotiate 50 miles from our Glasgow base to the Fringe, as our metal and wooden actors cannot get in and get out of stage in 30 min. We are very thankful to Theatre Workshop for providing temporary accommodation for the mix bunch of wooden marionettes, metal scrap and electrical motors, which include such stars as Titanic from the collection of Glasgow Museums as well as a new set Sharmanka Gothic Kinetic straight from Eduard Bersudsky's workshop.”
In addition, for one week only Theatre Workshop and SHARMANKA will be hosting Russian musicians to play in the Foyer as people come in to see Wheels of Life. The band, called Shakin' Manas, from St Petersburg, are a combination of two musicians, a singer and story-teller, who perform live jazz with some multi-media elements. They use Russian folklore texts with a strong element of absurd and grotesque, which serve as a perfect introduction to SHARMANKA shows. More details to follow.
Fresh from winning a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award and being selected for Edinburgh International Film Festival for TROUBLE SLEEPING, Theatre Workshop is delighted to host this special event. Theatre Workshop Artistic Director, Robert Rae says “I'm delighted to welcome Sharmanka to Theatre Workshop and to the Edinburgh Fringe. Everybody who saw ENDGAME and all the many many fans of all ages who rush to watch the Millennium Clock strike in the National Museum of Scotland will be aware of Eduard's genius. It really is a privilege to be able to turn the theatre over to them so that Edinburgh Festival goers can share one of Scotland's greatest hidden treasures.”
SHARMANKAs previous touring set "Sharmanka Kinetic Circus", funded by SAC, was seen and loved by more than 40,000 people including such remote places as Stornoway, Thurso and Tobermory. SHARMANKA currently have a set of kinetic sculptures performing at Phaeno Science Centre in Wolfsburg, Germany. The sculptures have been seen by over 100,000 people and have gained critical acclaim.
Ends
Previews Thursday 31st July and Friday 1st August at 5pm, 7pm and 8pm. Duration 30 minutes. Tickets £4/2
Daily from Saturday 2nd August - Monday 25th August 1pm, 5pm, 7pm and 8pm. Duration 30 minutes. Tickets £5/3
Box Office 0131 226 5425 Fax 0131 220 0112 Text Phone 0131 220 02354
For Interviews, images and any other information contact: Kirsty Tough on 0131 226 4366 // 07971590315 // ktough@twe.org.uk
Notes to editors:
Theatre Workshop Edinburgh was founded in 1965. In the last eleven years, under the artistic direction of Robert Rae, Theatre Workshop has seen much success in creating innovative, challenging theatre such as DARE, Threepenny Opera and Endgame. In 2000, Theatre Workshop became the first professional producing theatre in Europe to include professional disabled actors in all main house productions. Theatre Workshop is well known for its unique and critically acclaimed community theatre (Black Sun Over Genoa, Babylon Burning [Another lovely War]) and has had recent success with its first feature film, TROUBLE SLEEPING, which won a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award and was selected to appear in EIFF.
Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre was formed by sculptor/mechanic Eduard Bersudsky and theatre director Tatyana Jakovskaya in St Petersburg in 1988. Sergey Jakovskaya joined the team in his early teens and is now sound and lighting designer. Sharmanka has been performing its mechanical ballet in Glasgow since 1995 in addition to regular international touring commitments and major one-off commissions such as The Millennium Clock at the Royal Museum in Edinburgh. Eduard Bersudsky was the recipient of a Creative Scotland Award in 2005. For more information please visit www.sharmanka.com