First Physical Theatre Company

Founded informally in July 1993 by Gary Gordon as a project of the Rhodes University Drama Department. The aim of the company was to “create a leading and powerful repertoire of new South African theatre works; devise high profile exciting and illuminating educational and development programmes; achieve and maintain a highly professional and critical level of creative educational and performance ability; publish and distribute in-depth and critical writing on dance and theatre development in South Africa” (Gary Gordon: Lessons and Mirrors, July1997) To this end it employs both students and professional performers trained by the Department. Ultimately the company is best known for its physical theatre performances at the Grahamstown Festival and the Vita Dance Indaba, as well as other arts festivals. Works produced by the company include *** (199*), The Unspeakable Story (1996) created by Gordon, dramatist Reza de Wet, mime-artist Andrew Buckland and students from the company, ***** (199*), ****(199*), and ***** (200*), Vrypas (NAF, 2006), 16 Kinds of Emptiness (NAF, 2006). Annually for a number of years they also presented their New Voices programme with their young performers and choreographers at the NAF, under the artistic direction of Gary Gordon. Company members over the years have included Samantha Pienaar, Lanon Prigge, Juanita Finestone-Praeg, Heike Gehring, Acty Tang, Sheena Stannard ***

Sources

(NELM) See: Prigge, L & "Community-cation". 1996. Physical Intelligence. Pienaar, S. (ed) Issue 1/June, pp.1-3. The First Physical Theatre Company, : Press package.

For more information

Go to the First Physical Theatre website at http://www.ru.ac.za/firstphysical

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