Monday, March 21, 2011

Theatre Ad Infinitum tours Edinburgh hit, The Big Smoke

'This play is excellent... something special' The Observer
'This performance left me transfixed, overwhelmed and weeping.  Utterly stunning'What's On Stage
'Incredibly dark, intense, disturbing, but also beautiful... a remarkable piece of theatre'Three Weeks
'Completely breathtaking, beautiful and accomplished'Fringe Review (Edinburgh)
 'Theatre Ad Infinitum have moved to the front of the pack'The Guardian
 
Theatre Ad Infinitum tours Edinburgh hit,
The Big Smoke
-         Nationwide dates to June 2011
 
Multi award-winning Theatre Ad Infinitum will be touring its poignant production, The Big Smoke, to venues nationwide from 28th March to 30th June 2011.    Inspired by the lives and works of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath and American poet Anne Sexton, The Big Smoketakes the company away from its traditional Lecoq style and presents a one-woman show using the voice as the main medium of the production.  The Big Smoke is sunga cappella throughout and tells the tragic story of a young woman whose mental state rapidly deteriorates.
 
A dark and searing piece of theatre performed by Canadian actor Amy Nostbakken and directed by Nir Paldi, The Big Smoke revolves around brilliant young artist Nathalie, whose search for identity results in a descent into madness and suicide.  Through this new approach to storytelling the audience shares Nathalie's journey and meets the – often very funny – characters she encounters along the way. However, Nathalie's honesty is no protection against a world that demands we 'fit in'.
 
Says actor Amy Nostbakken, "Nathalie's experience is one that people everywhere can relate to.  This play deals with issues we all face: feeling lost, confused, depressed, indecisive, 'not right'.  We lead the audience down that familiar lonely path, but then we keep going, all the way down, into the depths of madness where Nathalie's story turns into heartbreaking tragedy." 
Explaining how the subject matter came about, director, Nir Paldi adds, "Exploring confessional writing and its effect on identity led us on to the female psyche and, more specifically that of Sexton, Plath and Woolf.  The subtleties of music and the voice seemed highly appropriate as a means of expressing deep emotion, obsession, imagination."
 
Theatre Ad Infinitum has won plaudits and awards at the Edinburgh Fringe and elsewhere, and a growing reputation as one of the most exciting young theatre companies around.   The Big Smoke begins touring on 30thMarch at the Edge Hill University in Lancashire and continues until the end of June with a variety of dates including Oxford, 5 days at the Brighton Festival in May, the Theatre Royal, Bath and the Lowry, Manchester.  For more information, tour dates and Theatre Ad Infinitum go to www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk  
 
The Big Smoke will be touring throughout the spring and early summer of 2011. 



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