Lost & Found Beneath the Streets
Set & Costume Design | Company: Punchdrunk Enrichment in collaboration with Hijinx | Director: Matthew Blake
Following a sold-out run in 2014 of Beneath the Streets, Hijinx and Punchdrunk Enrichment reunited to present the sequel in a new location. This unique theatrical experience, nominated for Best Production in English at the Wales Theatre Awards 2015, featured a large cast of actors with and without disabilities. Myself and Director Matthew Blake devised these two shows in two years, working alongside the performers to create dark stories across large site specific venues.
‘Theatregoers who suspect that productions involving disabled artists might lack in aesthetic quality and creative daring are advised to see Beneath the Streets: Lost and Found. This latest collaboration between Hijinx and Punchdrunk Enrichment couples a dark and compelling exploration of lost memory with a Kafkaesque depiction of corporate bureaucracy and boardroom infighting. It is a smart and sophisticated show in which a cast of disabled and non-disabled actors work seamlessly with a hugely talented design team to create an atmosphere of unease that is vaguely nightmarish yet not without occasional humour. Designer Julie Landau’s basement set is rich in disturbing detail.’
Wales Art Review
‘A stunning set designed by Punchdrunk’s Julie Landau and atmospheric soundscape by Stephen Dobbie made audiences feel like they were part of the unfolding story, which was directed by Matthew Blake.’
Theatre Wales
‘Beneath the Streets is proof positive that to use learning disabled actors is the very opposite of tokenism. Instead, it’s smart dramatic practice: the greater the range of our community the audience sees onstage, the more convincing the piece becomes.’
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