These two theatre makers from York are taking live outdoor performances to local audiences

For those of you who, like me, have been missing the very special experience of live performance, here is some good news. Two imaginative creatives in York have joined forces to find new ways of sharing stories, connecting with audiences and making theatre, music and visual art, creating a five-part body of work entitled I’ll Try and See You Sometimes.

It’s a perfect example of the kind of outside-the-box thinking that is required from artists in these extremely testing times.

Alexander Flanagan-Wright – writer, director and founder of award-winning theatre company the Flanagan Collective – and performer and musician Phil Grainger who runs Gobbledigook Theatre have teamed up to deliver live entertainment in outdoor spaces in your neighbourhood, while socially distancing and abiding by Government guidelines on how many people are allowed to gather together at any one time.

“There are a lot of things we can’t do at the moment, but we wanted to focus on what we can do,” says Flanagan-Wright. “We care really deeply about people, stories and place and the alchemy between those three.

"A lot of artists have been making brilliant use of digital platforms but what we are good at is getting in a room with people, interacting with them and creating a community. We wanted to build on that.”

So, playing to their strengths, they began putting together a set of ideas. Both are used to working in non-traditional theatre spaces so they are ideally suited to being flexible and adaptable. Three of the pieces are now available to book through their website.

They are touring Orpheus, their internationally award-winning show, to people’s gardens, streets, front windows or local parks. “We have performed this show for years all over the world but its premiere was in someone’s back garden in the Scottish Highlands, so it made sense to offer it to people,” says Flanagan-Wright.

“We will go anywhere within a two-hour drive of York to perform it. The response so far has been very positive and we have had quite a few bookings already.”

Oh, To Be So Lonely is a pen pal project that’s helping to combat loneliness and reviving the lost art of letter-writing. “It’s a simple idea but it seems to have captured people’s imagination,” says Flanagan-Wright. “Those who have signed up are making friends across different communities and countries, it has been lovely to see.”

The third piece is This Story is For You, a brand new narrative in book form with artwork by guest illustrators and a bespoke soundtrack. Audiences get the story, artwork and music to keep.

Even in very challenging circumstances, creativity has found a way. Theatre faces an uncertain future but Flanagan-Wright remains cautiously optimistic.

“As an industry we have to fight our corner but artists are amazing, imaginative people – we will always find ways to keep telling stories.”

For details and to book visit www.flanagancollective.com

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