Rochdale Observer

Boundaries blurred between theatre, art and music in production

- ROBIN/RED/BREAST with Maxine Peake at Aviva Studios PREVIEW BY STEVE COOKE

THIS intimate, immersive and voyeuristi­c take on a folk horror classic is based on the 1970s TV play Robin Redbreast. An original production at Aviva Studios from Maxine Peake, Sarah Frankcom, Imogen Knight, Daisy Johnson and Gazelle Twin blending folk horror with immersive storytelli­ng and live music.

Norah is an outsider in the village. A TV script editor and city dweller seeking a slower pace of life after a breakup. But the village is not as it seems.

Ancient rituals bubble below the surface and Norah finds herself trapped in an idyllic nightmare. With the villagers closing in, Norah must fight for control of her body, fertility and ultimately her story. Will she escape before the harvest?

Starring Maxine Peake as an increasing­ly paranoid Norah, Robin/red/breast is an intense live performanc­e that blurs the boundaries between theatre, art and music.

Take your seat, put on headphones and get inside Norah’s head. Who is watching her, and what do they want? Robin/red/breast is a modern retelling of John Bowen’s cult TV play – often seen as a precursor to the iconic film The Wicker Man – that tackles complex issues around fertility, violence and power.

Peake, Frankcom and Knight – co-founders of Music, Art, Activism and Theatre (MAAT) - join forces with Booker Prize-nominated writer and

Punchdrunk collaborat­or Daisy Johnson, and musician Gazelle Twin, who’s known for fusing live music with performanc­e art.

Robin/red/breast is Peake, Frankcom and

Knight’s latest collaborat­ion for Factory Internatio­nal following They (MIF23), The Nico Project (MIF19), The Skriker (MIF15) and The Masque of Anarchy (MIF13). ‘A tale of bodily autonomy, power and rebirth, Robin/red/ Breast is a striking and subversive adaptation for our times.’

May 15 - 26 2024 Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ 14+ Strong language and violent themes.

Accessibil­ity features available for this event: BSL Interpreti­ng, Wheelchair Access. Visit: https://factoryint­ernational.org/whats-on/ robin-red-breast/. For ticketing and box office related enquiries, please contact tickets@ factoryint­ernational.org or call 0333 322 8679 (phone lines are open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm).

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