SIZE OF COMPANY
4–7 on the road

SCALE OF VENUE
Small- to middle-scale

PERMANENT STAFF
Producer
Julia Negus

Artistic Director/Writer
Chris O’Connell

ARTISTIC POLICY
Theatre Absolute commissions, produces and tours new plays that are bold, uncompromising, and contemporary. The company’s work has a hard-edged aesthetic that is founded on a heightened narrative text and strong use of rhythm, music and soundscape. It explores the alienating nature of urban worlds to create an intensely emotional experience for both actor and audience.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
‘Theatergoers will leave Cloud:Burst shaken.’ American Theater Web

‘One of the most powerful plays I've seen…an unforgettable piece of theatre.’ Manchester Evening News (Street Trilogy)

‘This near-to-blank canvas becomes magically enriched and brimming with imagery as O'Connell's words paint their beautiful pictures. This is theatre at its best. There are no gimmicks, no cheap shots, just wonderful words and glorious actors.’ British Theatre Guide (Hang Lenny Pope)

CURRENT PRODUCTION
Cloud:Burst A mesmerising soundscape of music by Andy Garbi and text by Chris O’Connell, which focuses on the intimacy of one voice as a man struggles to deal with grief and the murder of his young daughter. (40 mins, 1 on stage, 3 on the road.)

FUTURE PRODUCTION
Zero Twenty years from now, the world looks essentially the same, yet socially it is unrecognisable. The Global Alliance builds as many camps as it can to capture, torture, and gain information from those who seek to destroy the rich pickings of a world that is wealthy beyond its dreams. Two soldiers, posted to serve at Camp Zero find themselves driven to desperate acts. They break camp, and seek to tell the world, through a book, of the brutal regime that defends all good people in the name of democracy. (90 mins, 5 on stage, 7 on the road.)

WRAP-AROUND
Each production is supported by performance and writing workshops. The workshops are led by Chris O’Connell and feature the cast of the play concerned. They focus on text and literacy; the use of language and rhythm, and how language defines peoples and societies. Talks and post-show discussions, led by writer Chris O’Connell and cast, are available by arrangement.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2006 USA (Cloud:Burst)

TOURING AVAILABILITY
Cloud:Burst from spring 2008
Zero from spring 2009