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| Common Players |
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| Artistic Director/s
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Anthony Richards
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| Ways of Working
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Practices
theatre company, site-specific drama, ritual, community arts, physical theatre, dance, musical, mime, circus, puppetry, celebrations, spectacles, happening, Local Distinctiveness, guided walks, youth theatre, participatory drama with regional skilled performers
Audiences: children, family, community Places
theatres, community centres, town parks, village halls, national parks, agricultural areas, heritage sites Recent Themes
regional apples, forests, road building, food production, urban expansion, land use, sense of place, respect for nature
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| Vision
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The Common Players work with the environment in the widest sense.
We work on site-specific performances in particular locations, aiming to amplify meanings and understandings of the environment both in its 'natural' state and in its real state of being inhabited by human beings. Much of our performance work happens outdoors, and in the winter we work in community spaces, halls, and other buildings.
We are primarily interested in people, their behaviour, and how that relates to the environment.
We often work with themes of environmental appreciation and understanding, from performances devised around the idea of urban expansion - The Lone Rooster - through stories about saving trees and protesting about new road building - The Return of Robin Hood - to fables about the dangers of non-organic food production - The Podfather.
We work with agencies such as The Community Council of Devon, Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks and the National Trust with whom we share some aims.
We are keen that our work is seen and affects people. To that end we usually create performances which engage and inspire different people on different levels - family theatre in its best sense. We often work in small isolated communities, preferring the honesty of engagement we find there, to many of the more proper theatre environments.
We are seldom overtly 'political,' preferring to believe more in the ability of an inspired imagination having the real energy to effect change in the world.
The philosophy of the company is to create exciting, relevant and often original theatre and take it to people who, usually because of where they live, have little chance to experience the excitement of live performance.
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Productions and Projects
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Cider with Roadies
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2006 - 2011
Cider with Roadies is a three-year project focussing on apples. The autumnal tour travels around Devon and Somerset with a specially commissioned apple press called Pomona, designed by the sculptor Jon Rodney-Jones. Communities have the chance to press their spare apples, at the same time be entertained by live music and begin a dialogue with
Common Players that will extend over the three years.
In 2007, Common Players commissioned Jon Stokes to write The Big Squeeze, the first of a trilogy of plays.
The Big Squeeze, a family play, was performed at the end of a day's pressing. Alongside the press and performance was the Apple Animateur, collecting information about local apple stories, traditions and identifying local varieties of apple. As well, the Apple Educator worked in local primary schools engaging and encouraging children to learn about local apple heritage.
on youTube
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Common Players' productions 1989 - 1999
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1989 - 1999
> Le Veterinaire Extraordinaire or "The EEC meats its match" - in collaboration with La Compagnie des Trois Oranges from South West France
> Vermin! - an outdoor version of a piping tale
written by Cathy Turner
> The Lone Rooster
> A Savage Song - written by Cathy Turner, 1989 - 1994 > Sulverton and Minehead Walks > Swallowing Oysters
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More About
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Transformations
Some of the ways we seek to transform participants' perceptions are with our Walks projects - seeing the landscape interpreted through art, and with our productions, by evoking an emotional relationship with the environment which provokes engaging attitudes. For example - Threshing About , a black comedy thriller with the protagonist being a farmer committing suicide to draw attention to the plight of farmers. This focussed on the paradox of farmers being unable to farm their land. New Writing
Usually we collaborate with a writer through a devising process. Occasionally we commission a writer to respond to an idea. Occasionally, we work without a writer. Sustainable Methods
Actors are self-generating! Funders
have included: Devon County Council, Arts Council of England, South West Arts Commissions
Beaford Centre, Common Ground - Production Commission Awards
Arts For Everyone - 3 Year Award; New Collaborations - Arts Council / Common Ground.
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