SIZE OF COMPANY
9–12 on the road

SCALE OF VENUE
Small to medium

PERMANENT STAFF
Artistic Director
Alex Byrne
Movement Director
Kasia Zaremba-Byrne
Associate Director
Kjell Moberg
Associate Director
Iva Moberg
General Manager/ Producer
Cat Moore
Production Manager
Elke Laleman
Administrator
Nicola Palmer

ARTISTIC POLICY
New International Encounter (NIE) brings together theatre-makers from different European countries to tell stories that focus on episodes that have shaped recent history. Weaving together live music, physical action, and a multitude of languages, they devise new, visually driven performances that speak directly and dynamically to an audience.
NIE uses all theatrical means to create performances that are full of life and by turns comic, tragic, ridiculous, and disturbing. They have won awards for their work in both the UK and Europe.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
A totally beguiling, tragi-comic caper full of NIE's trademark mayhem and music.
The Herald (Past Half Remembered)
The exceptional ensemble combines exquisite, highly physical acting and wonderfully integrated live music…deeply moving and genuinely memorable.
The Daily Telegraph (The End of Everything Ever)
NIE conjure something extraordinarily rich, drawing on a mixture of languages and a performance style that is a hybrid of clowning and wistfulness.
The Guardian (My Life with the Dogs)

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
The End of Everything Ever
Telling the story of the Kindertransport, the show follows the journey of six year old Agata and her quest for home. A story of survival, love and hope.
Production length: 70 mins/no interval. Cast: 6, Crew:3
My Life with the Dogs
Based on the true story of a four year old boy who ran away to live with street dogs. This is a wild romp through the Moscow back streets into a world of strange characters and raucous music.
Includes some mild violence and mild sexual content. Production length: 75 mins/no interval. Cast: 5, Crew: 3
Trilogy
A triple bill of performances based on extraordinary and true stories that unfolded in the war-torn Europe of last century. My Long Journey Home, Past Half Remembered and The End of Everything Ever can be presented together to make a special event for a venue or festival.
Production length: 70 min each/at least 1 hr interval between each show. Cast: 8, Crew: 3

FUTURE PRODUCTIONS
Everything Falls Apart
Performed in a promenade style, this contemporary show follows the story of two boys on a dangerous journey from a small Slovak village to the London Underground and a deadly encounter in the dark.
Instant Epic
A new improvised total theatre event where all elements of the show are created live on the night with the help of the audience. The format aims to include epic narratives to generate bold new work.

WRAP-AROUND
Teaching has always been at the heart of NIE’s work, as has playing in schools, colleges and non-theatre spaces.  
Workshops and masterclasses
Over the past seven years they have delivered a number of Professional Workshops (workshops for theatre professionals and Higher Education level students). These can last half a day or for up to two weeks. They can be based around specific show content and creation, NIE’s practice of devising work or general skills workshops.
Workshops can vary in content and length and will be tailored to suit the specific requirements or dynamics of the group. These workshops are also available to community groups and other organisations.
Performance discussions/presentations
NIE can present pre or post performance discussions about the work of the company, content of the show or the process of creating it.
Residencies
Because each NIE show involves the creation of a new performance script the company’s rehearsal process is longer (6–7 weeks) than might be associated with a more traditional text based rehearsal process.  
NIE can be a resident company from 1–7 weeks in a studio space. As part of a residency period, NIE are able to open up the creative process through sharings of work-in-progress and discussions on the development of the work.
Performance-based educational activity – Instant Epic
Since 2003 NIE have been developing an improvised performance project ‘Instant Epic’ that can work as a stand-alone performance or as an interactive project with local performers. This project can involve between 4 and 20 performers using found objects, improvised stories, music and song to create instant theatre.
All the wrap-around work is suitable for 14 years and above, for professionals, those in higher education or general community. NIE can tailor activity to the needs of the audience.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2007 Finland: Trilogy
2007 Norway: Past Half Remembered & My Life with the Dogs
2007 Austria: My Life with the Dogs
2008 USA: Past Half Remembered
2008 Germany, Finland, China: The End of Everything Ever

TOURING AVAILABILITY
All shows available for touring in April/May/November and December 2009