Feral

4 Mar

Written By Tortoise in a Nutshell

A Tortoise in a Nutshell and Cumbernauld Theatre Co-Production

A cross art form piece blending film, puppetry and live performance, Feral holds a community under the microscope and dissects it in front of its audience’s eyes

An innovative piece of visual theatre that combines puppetry, film and live sound to create and destroy a world in front of the audience’s eyes. Joe looks back at the town of his childhood. Bright, vibrant and idyllic, the world resembles a haven of comfort. But as Joe journeys on, walls and lives are peeled back, and the story of a community’s fall unfolds around him.

A cross art form piece, Feral seamlessly blends film and live performance. Puppeteers manipulate and bring to life a tiny world, whilst simultaneously creating a live animation, as they follow it’s every breath via digital camera.

Awards

2019 Best Theatre Performance Award Winner At Kotorski Festival, Montenegro

2019 Best Direction Award Winner At Kotorski Festival, Montenegro

2019 New York Times Critic’s Pick

2013 Scotsman Fringe First Award Winner

2013 Total Theatre Awards Shortlisted Nominee

Accessibility

Recommended for ages 13+ due to some violence and adult themes. We are eager to engage communities of all nationalities, backgrounds and abilities with our work in a meaningful way. Minimal use of spoken text renders Feral highly accessible to audiences across the globe with opportunities for touch tours, captioning and international translations available upon request.

Reviews

‘A reminder of why we cling to beauty as the world around us falls apart.’
The New York Times

‘Mesmerisingly inventive… technically, visually, aurally and politically, it’s a tremendous show.’
The Scotsman
⭑⭑⭑⭑

‘Sophisticated and highly entertaining. The level of detail here is extraordinary.’
The Times
⭑⭑⭑⭑

Credits

Director: Ross MacKay

Performers/Co-Creators: Arran Howie, Ross MacKay, Alex Bird, Jim Harbourne and Matthew Leonard

Set Designer: Amelia Bird

Lighting Designer: Simon Wilkinson

Sound Designer/Composer: Jim Harbourne

Production Manager: JJ McGregor

Technical Manager: Andrew Gannon

Past Presentations

Feral was created in 2012 whilst in residency at Cumbernauld Theatre. It was first presented by National Theatre of Scotland during their Reveal 2012 season before completing a sellout run in 2013 at Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it was shortlisted for a Total Theatre Award and won the Scotsman Fringe First Award.

Feral returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014 as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase and has since toured extensively both nationally and internationally receiving a host of awards and critical acclaim. Selected for the largest arts festival in the Americas, El Cervantino, and the renowned Brits Off Broadway season at 59E59 Theatres in New York, Feral has been enjoyed by audiences throughout the UK, Denmark, Austria, Montenegro, Poland, Mexico and the USA.

Feral in Margate & Poole

in association with Fuel

As part of Fuel’s research project 'New Theatre In Your Neighbourhood' the company created two new bespoke versions of their existing production Feral and performed them to local audiences in one-off special events

Feral in Margate & Poole are innovative pieces of visual theatre that combine puppetry, film and live sound to create and destroy worlds in front of an audience’s eyes. Bright, vibrant and idyllic, everything resembles a haven of comfort. But as the walls are peeled back, stories of a pair of communities’ falls unfold.

Cross art form pieces, Feral in Margate & Poole seamlessly blend film and live performance. Puppeteers manipulate and bring to life tiny worlds, while simultaneously creating a live animation as they follow every breath via digital camera.

Tortoise in a Nutshell visited Margate and Poole over a period of six months, meeting with local shopkeepers, town councillors, school children and other important people to investigate what was at their hearts.