Sensitive Plumbing

NOW 20 Festival, The Yard Theatre London 11- 15th February 2020

“The performance soils itself, then rolls around in the juice like it just don’t care.”

“Follows in the lineage of queer performance”

“defying the boundaries of skin enacting solidarity”

Working from greek myth Rushes uses the story of Arethusa’s metamorphosis from a nymph to natural spring water to unpick transformation as it relates to gender, sexuality and power. Working directly from Ovid’s narrative text Metamorphosis and from images of the Sicilian Fountain of Arethusa which show her fleeing the River God Alpheus, Rushes’ performers assemble and dissemble a series of plumbing systems through a series of movement sequences. Working to unpick hierarchical power dynamics they must complete plumbing tasks that are dependent on each person in the group for their success. Thinking about transformation as escape from the natural order of things in the context of climate change the work oscillates between order and chaos.

Concept by Reed Rushes

Directed by Reed Rushes
Performers: Tallulah Haddon, Claudia Palazzo, Symoné
Musical Score: Lucy Lie
Set Build: Erin Tse
Lighting Design: Jo Palmer
Movement Director: Florence Peake
Movement Consultancy: Miranda Cromwell
Assistant Director: Katayoun Jalili
Producing Consultancy: Cat Harrison
Stage Managers: Sorcha Stott-Strzla and Naomi Young
Project Manager: Ruby Glaskin

Created by Edythe Woolley in collaboration with Tallulah Haddon, Claudia Palazzo and Rachael Young. With special thanks to Florence Peak, Moa Johansson, Katayoun Jalili, Temi Wilkey, Helena Middleton, Emily Greenslade, Miranda Cromwell, Symone and Crow for their creative input.

Commissioned by The Yard Theatre, supported by Arts Council England, Shoreditch Town Hall and Queen Mary University.