“IT’S NEVER A FINISHED PRODUCT”: AMIT LAHAV OF GECKO THEATRE 0131 556 6550 S tunning the crowd at the 2013 Pleasance press launch Gecko’s latest production Missing has already received great acclaim at this year’s Fringe. Fest gave the production 4 stars and proclaimed it as “one of the most visually arresting shows at the Fringe” whilst The List commented that “originality pulses through every scene”. The company’s Artistic Director and Founder, Amit Lahav, has worked with Gecko for the past 11 years producing five astounding works of physical theatre - including The Overcoat and The Arab and the Jew and The Race. Discussing artistic vision, the engagement of physical theatre and universal themes of lost identity and relationships, Amit is a truly fascinating theatre maker. Missing began for Amit whilst he was working in Madison, Wisconsin, on a residency for a dance company over there. “I happened upon a notion,” Amit begins, “of a missing girl, a woman with a decaying soul and a scientist who was obsessed with some sort of theory to do with the soul and that is how it began. It doesn’t really formulate like that as a vision for the whole. It starts as a seed, something very small and potentially something that gets left behind.” Amit continues, detailing how he then worked to translate his ideas into something which would fit with his company, Gecko, evolving until it became what it is today, “It’s never a finished product though,” Amit adds, “it’s always developing.” With a background in theatre school and training from some of the best in the field, Amit’s previous experience has been inspirational on his journey to where he is now. “It was really drama college that alerted me to the fact that I was a physical, expressive performer; one who was less interested in conveying things through words.” After graduating from drama college, Amit spent eight years with renowned figures such as Stephen Berkoff, Lindsay Kemp and Ken Campbell, who he describes as “visionaries.” “By the end of those eight years,” Amit concludes, “my fire was truly lit.” Speaking with an understated passion about his work and career, Amit talks of how engaging he finds physical theatre, something many would disagree with owing to the lack of speech to carry the narrative. “There are a couple of really important ingredients to ensure the piece is engaging,” Amit begins, “If we are going to join together you can have an incredibly emotional journey but you have to make that connection at the very beginning. It’s all about signposts too. These say input your own narrative experiences of life in here, and here and here. In some ways that is why it takes so long because over layering the narrative is bad. The style is to provoke the audience’s individual imagination. And you need good performers, world class performers.” Missing is an exciting work of theatre but one which seems impossible to describe to someone unfamiliar with the work. I ask Amit how he would go about explaining the piece, a question which he smiles over for some time before replying, “If I could write nothing about Missing that’s exactly what I’d do. It really is very, very personal to every single person who sees it,” he laughs, “though were I pushed, I’d say I think it is a voyage into somebody really trying to remember who they are in relation to their identity and their cultural identity. The person in Missing has managed to forget or chosen to forget crucial elements of who they are. It’s universal in that sense, everyone should be able to connect with it and it’s phenomenally visual, so moving as it is so beautifully done.” With years of experience under his belt and a number of successful productions to his name, Amit’s artistic vision is surely still only just the seed he described still growing and flourishing with each new venture. Missing truly is a stunningly visually and emotionally moving piece of modern physical theatre where words fail to portray what is being said throughout this beautiful piece of work. Check out Missing until 25 August in the Pleasance Courtyard at 13.00 ISSUE 7: 12TH AUGUST 2013 www.pleasance.co.uk BROUGHT TO YOU BY BOOK NOW: “By the end of those eight years my fire was truly lit” “It is a voyage into someone really trying to remember who they are ” Image of the day: The atmospheric and explosive Missing from Gecko Hilary: Manager Hi, I’m Hilary the manager of Pendulums. I am responsible for ensuring the retail Pendulum keeps on swinging. Here at Pendulums we pride ourselves on being ‘purveyors of everything you’ve ever wanted and more’. Pendulums is a unique store that offers a shopping experience like no other. The shop is jam packed with puppetry, live music, comedy and singing. From the moment customers enter the store they will be treated to a few shop perks, free samples, store cards and demonstrations of our latest products in store. Beatrice: Sales Assistant Pendulums is the place where retail dreams are made. I am one of the sales assistants at Pendulums and I work in beauty. So if you’re looking for a few make up tips or help finding the perfect fragrance then I’m your lady.... on that note we do have a wonderful new fragrance just in called ‘Daisy Does It’ a wonderful fresh and fruity number for the summer. So come and see me and I will sort you out a sample. Sue: Stock Room Worker Hello...I work in the stock room, I’m still training and I’m currently a level 1 but hoping to get to level 2. At level 3 I get a neck scarf like Beatrice and pink lipstick! You can visit Hilary, Beatrice and Sue in Pendulums Bargain Emporium until 24 August. The store is open in the Pleasance Dome from 16.20 From left to right: Beatrice, Sue WELCOME TO PENDULUMS BARGAIN EMPORIUM We meet the staff at the Pleasance’s own department store ITCH WITH A TWIST: 12 & 13 AUGUST JO CAULFIELD – STEVE FROST – SARA PASCOE – ALAN FRANCIS - MATT GREEN – PHIL NICHOL