Press Releases
Souterrain - an evening you will never forget
Date: 14 July 2006
Buildings, gardens and spaces will become the stage of a unique theatrical experience coming to Essex this summer. Souterrain is an opportunity to see the internationally acclaimed performance company Wildworks working in collaboration with local organisations and people, and is the latest project to come out of Insite, the Essex Cultural Tourism programme.
Inspired by the ancient myth of Orpheus in the Underworld, Souterrain is the heartbreaking story of a hero who refuses to let death separate him from his love. The audience literally journeys through a living set – local buildings, gardens and spaces transformed into a mysterious twilight world of strange creatures and amazing sights and sounds. Created with Essex people, the event, will take place at 7:30pm from August 3 – 13 (no performance on Monday).
Rob West, Essex’s Cultural Tourism Director, is truly passionate about the Souterrain project. “There’s more than one way of looking at the same place. Insite takes this premise as the basis of our work to increase awareness, challenge perceptions and help develop the county as a leading cultural destination in the East of England.”
Recommended in The Guardian’s summer ‘family special’ guide, the event is part of what has been a year of inspiring and exciting cultural events developed through Insite, the Essex Cultural Tourism Programme which aims to promote Essex as a vibrant place in which to live, work and visit.
Essex streetdiversions – a showcase of wild, wacky and accessible street theatre that toured a number of the county’s towns (Rayleigh, Harlow, Braintree and Chelmsford), including a Twilight Spectacular at Chelmsford Central Park featuring Argentinean ensemble Groupa Puja that performed to over three thousand people.
Spoke n Word - a new experience of spring cycle rides and country walks in beautiful North Essex, punctuated with poetry readings en route from tour guide and rock singer-turned-writer, Martin Newell.
Talk About Essex – brought four famous and always entertaining Essex commentators (Germaine Greer, Simon Heffer, Martin Newell and Ken Worpole) to the Essex Book Festival to discuss what still makes their county so famous, or infamous.
“The Essex I love is the Essex of the enormous sky…It is not picturesque, it is beautiful.” (Germaine Greer, Talk About Essex, February 2006)
Souterrain is a Wildworks production in partnership with the Mercury Theatre, Insite – The Essex Cultural Tourism Programme and firstsite, and is supported by Arts Council England East, Colchester Borough Council, and Essex County Council.
Insite, one of six county-specific programmes in the East of England region, is playing an important role in the promotion of Essex as a leading cultural destination. Insite is a partnership between the district, borough, unitary and county councils of Essex and Arts Council England, East (see www.artsgenerate.co.uk) . The ongoing partnership seeks to reflect an image of the county based on the strength and diversity in Essex’s history, people and environment. The programme is hosted by the Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA). See www.insite-essex.co.uk for further information.
A series of high quality images to support this Press Release are available. Please contact Stuart Graham, Media & PR Manager at the Essex Development & Regeneration Agency or Matt Simpkins Press & Marketing Manager at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester for further information
Cast Includes Roger Devles-Broughton, Alhoucin Djhara, Samuel Gardes, David Greaves, Steve Jacobs, Anna Lindgren, Paul Portelli, Nicola Rosewarne
Performances: 7.30pm, 3 – 13 August (excluding Monday 7 August)
For more information please contact:
Rob West, Insite Project Director
Tel: 01245 702454
Email: rob.west@exdra.o.uk
Tel: 01245 702415
Email: stuart.graham@exdra.co.uk
Tel: 01206 245504
Email: matts@mercurytheatre.co.uk
