IT PROMISES to be one of the most extraordinary pieces of theatre to be seen at the Lawrence Batley Theatre this season.
Pertencia plays the theatre’s main house for just two performances next Thursday and Friday.
It marks a remarkable collaboration between two very different theatre companies, one English, one Portuguese and tackles some of the themes common in folk tales.
Pertencia, which means Belonging in Portuguese, is a brand new play and marks staged by Foursight Theatre and Portuguese company, Teatro do Montemuro.
Foursight Theatre is a female-led company based in Wolverhampton which has been touring for 24 years.
Teatro do Montemuro is a male-led company based in a tiny mountain village in Portugal. Both are committed to creating vibrant new theatre and that is exactly what they have done here.
A cast of six actors from the two companies, speaking in both English and Portuguese, tell the story of Pertencia who was abandoned outside the Butcher’s shop as a young child and spends her life inventing stories to escape the harsh world in which she has found herself.
The story is told through a mix of languages and live music and song. Lyrical and grotesque, poignant and funny, this extraordinary production moves between the real and fantastical as Pertencia uncovers the reality of the Butcher’s business and dark revelations about her past.
“It all started with a desire to explore new creative partnerships and international collaborations,” said Frances Land, co-artistic director of Foursight Theatre.
“Teatro Do Montemuro share our ethos for collaborative working and creating strong physical, visual productions.
“There are also key differences between the companies – Foursight is a predominantly female company rooted in the heart of urban Wolverhampton, and Teatro Do Montemuro are a predominantly male led company working from a tiny mountain village in Portugal.
“We began by researching common themes looking to traditional folk tales embedded in both cultures alongside contemporary stories of children robbed of their innocence and childhood.”
“We explored different approaches to creating physical theatre, the use of masks, puppets and music, and shared ideas between practitioners working within very different cultures and environments.
“We shared dark fairytales of babes lured away by witches and bogeymen, and desperate real life stories of children abandoned, abused, abducted, uprooted from family and the places to which they once belonged.”
The result is a show which is in essence a richly layered grotesque contemporary fairytale. It premiered at the National Theatre, Porto, toured Portugal and is now on tour in the UK..
After Thursday’s show, the audience can join the cast and director for a discussion about the performance.
The show is at the LBT on March 10 and 11 at 7.30pm.
Tickets from the box office on 01484 430528 or book online at www.thelbt.org.
