SIZE OF COMPANY
Varies

SCALE OF VENUE
Small

PERMANENT STAFF
Artistic Director and Performer
Guy Dartnell
Producer
Lucia Hogg
Administrative Manager
Colin Watkeys

ARTISTIC POLICY
Guy Dartnell is an international award-winning solo and collaborative artist whose work spans the realms of theatre, music, dance, circus, and film. His solo work is often personal and semi-autobiographical, mixing a conversational style of delivery with a highly dynamic synthesis of voice, movement, improvisation, and imagery. He has also recently started working with film, both narrative-feature and abstract ‘physical-music’ films.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
One of the most exhilarating and moving shows of the [Melbourne] festival…a telling expression of human communication…synchronised perfection.
The Age, Melbourne (Oogly Boogly)
Original and wincingly funny…This is really good story-telling…an enjoyable evening and so compelling…the perfect one night stand up!
Oxford Daily Info (Travels With My Virginity)
A daringly inventive piece of theatre that arrives on the fringe like a blast of fresh air.
Time Out Award Winner (Would Say Something)

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
Something Or Nothin
Solo inter-disciplinary, promenade style performance, that explores the paradoxes and contradictions surrounding our need to identify ourselves as 'something', even just as 'I'. A scrapbook mixture of text, voice, movement, chalk, blackboards and video.
Approx 90 mins(TBC), 1-2 (TBC) onstage, 1-3 (TBC) on the road, some strong language
Travels With My Virginity
Based on the true story of Dartnell’s desperate attempt, aged 19, to lose his virginity by hitchhiking across France. It explores the various strange rides and incidents that occurred on the way. A solo rite-of-passage cum road-movie storytelling piece directed by Improbable’s Lee Simpson. Presently being developed for film with funding from Film 4.
85 mins, 1 on stage, 2 on the road, some strong language
Oogly Boogly
Movement based improvisational event for babies of 1–1 1/2 years old and their parents/carers. In a soft, safe environment, inside an inflatable designed by the Architects of Air, the babies get to do what they want (even if that’s nothing), while four performers simply follow what they do. The adults simply sit back and watch.
3 x 45 mins per day. 5 on stage 7 on the road

FUTURE PRODUCTIONS
Physical Music
Short films using split frame edited video to capture and manipulate performers’ abstract vocal-movement phrases into a rhythmical-musical structure. At this moment in the project’s 4/5 year timeline Guy is focussing on just making films for screening, but the next phase is an installation, and finally an interactive performance between the films, live performers and musicians.

WRAP-AROUND
Workshops/master classes in – Voicemotion - voice/movement integration and improvisation for professionals, students and public aged 18 years and over. Post-show talks, seminars and lecture demonstrations on the background and nature of all Dartnell’s work. Residencies and mentoring projects for artists. Oogly Boogly workshops offered by the company exploring the improvisational techniques used with the infants in the show.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2008 Austria & Germany: Daniel Hit By A Train (with Lone Twin Theatre)
2005 & 2007 USA & Ireland: Travels With My Virginity
2005 – 2007 France, Ireland, Australia, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal: Oogly Boogly
2005 USA: Spirit (with Improbable)

TOURING AVAILABILITY
Something Or Nothing from autumn 2008 onwards.
Travels With My Virginity and Oogly Boogly available for touring now.