Sorry!
Footsbarn Theatre
Sat 5 & Sun 6 Jun and Thu 10 – Sat 12 Jun 2010 7.30pm
£20, Under 26s £10
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CloseFollowing Footsbarn’s thrilling performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2008, this influential, legendary company once again pitch their tent on our campus grounds to bring us a truly magical and entertaining summer theatrical experience.
Clowns and undertakers. Actors and tractors. Corpses and horses. Theatre and circus. Footsbarn have joined forces with Pierre Byland and Cirque Werdyn, a gypsy horse circus to present an evening of burlesque and anarchy in a big top!
Sorry! is a show that defies description, as the undertakers hold a funeral for a famous composer a family of gypsies arrive to celebrate a wedding, all in the same place! Will we toast the bride or mourn the departed, the battle is on… Sorry! is a gathering. Of turmoil. Of the two magnetic poles. Of conflict taken so far it no longer makes sense, to the point of absurdity.
Sorry! will take place in a special performance tent on Tocil Field (opposite car park 7).
Running time: 2 hours
Footsbarn began life in Cornwall in 1971 rehearsing in a barn owned by the Foot family, hence its name. In 1984 the company left Britain to take its brand of theatre to international audiences and remained without a base until 1991 when a farm was purchased in central France, La Chaussée. They are now one of the world’s leading touring companies performing for the most part in one of its circus big tops but also in theatres thoughout the world.
‘Footsbarn Travelling Theatre breaks through the social norms, transcending cultures. Its actors, cosmopolitan, are joyful troubadours who bring into the theatre two treasures dear to Jacques Lecoq : «madness and generosit».” Le Figaro
“As soon as you enter Footsbarn’s world, you are challenged to consider a different way of doing things.” The Times
“…if you want to capture their [the children’s] imaginations then this – low comedy, wrapped in grotesquely beautiful costumes, with whistles and bells on – might just be spellbinding.” Time Out on Footsbarn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“…utterly joyful.” The Guardian on Footsbarn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A taster of "Sorry!"
Dates & Times
| Sat 5 Jun | 7:30pm | |||
| Sun 6 Jun | 7:30pm | |||
| Thu 10 Jun | 7:30pm | |||
| Fri 11 Jun | 7:30pm | |||
| Sat 12 Jun | 7:30pm |
14 Comments
copy of letter to Warwick Art Centre:
Had this production not been carefully described as "a show that defies description" i would now be writing to claim a repayment as the show could not have been described as "a truly magical and entertaining summer theatrical experience".
We found it a dreadful experience in which the limited circus content completely misfired, was incompetent, or of very low standard. The theatrical quality struck me as dubious and pretentious. Had this been a restaurant meal i would not have paid the bill.
I think it incumbent on Warwick, as promoters of this spectacle, to fairly describe it. My wife purchased tickets in the belief we were going to see something similar to Gifford's (modern) circus. Warwick Arts centre has tarnished its reputation, at least in my eyes.
Peter Semler
PS I accept it is in the nature of art to be unpredictable but that does not excuse promoters from their responsibility to fairly represent the product they are selling.
semler at 11:30am on Mon 7th Jun 2010
Hi Readers
I think the above Peter Semler rather missed the point entirely about this circus performance of Midsummer Nights Dream, and I would thoroughly recommend it. If you cannot see the point in it, I am afraid you lack any sense of imagination. If you want razzmatazz circus this is not for you, but if you want bohemian style, seriously professional and entertaining music, the excitement and challenge of absurd theatre, and the magic of a new "take" on shakespeare, then go see this. I dont want to give any of the drama away by telling you what to expect, but expect the unexpected. And dont be put off by the above review "bored of Warwick", rather have a look at the reviews from Times, Time Out and more enlightened pundits.
Andy Wijnberg
Andrew Wijnberg at 3:13pm on Mon 7th Jun 2010
This production showcased Footsbahn on good form. Sorry! is a lot better than Midsummer Nights Dream last year so if you were put off after seeing that then don't be wary of giving Footsbahn a second chance. The comedy was often laugh out loud funny whilst the more serious moments offered solemnity. Don't come expecting to see a circus, it is a theatrical production encompassing a wonderful blend circus, farce, music and spectacle. It is fair to say that Sorry! offers a magical evening, although allergy suffers beware horses, hay and chickens are a rather potent combination.
Laura at 5:06pm on Mon 7th Jun 2010
Fun, absurd, creative, imaginative. I sat there and wondered what could happen next. Well done. Although the animals - cat, chicken, horses added to the above - oh I don't know - I'm just not sure about them in a 'circus type' environment. Other than that - delightfully wacky.
Dickie at 9:45pm on Thu 10th Jun 2010
Loved it! Go see!
Katie at 12:41pm on Fri 11th Jun 2010
I'm amazed by the comments of people who enjoyed this. It was painful to watch, the dialogue poor and predictable. I found myself trying to seek enjoyment in listening the parts in French, because there was little else to enjoy.
I've seen a wide variety of theatre productions and really enjoy unusual interpretations that challenge and are creative, offering new perspectives. Sadly this felt more like a jumble and befitting of its title. If it had been an amateur production costing a third of the price, i may have been more charitable in my views. As it was, I was just Sorry I went!!
A very Sorry! Roisin at 7:44pm on Fri 11th Jun 2010
I'm just amazed by the comments of the people who didn't enjoy this. Oh well, each to there own. Just Sorry! you didn't enjoy it. Some people enjoy 'The Chippendales', 'On the Piste' and other 'populist stuff; I didn't!
Ricardo at 12:14pm on Sat 12th Jun 2010
I saw Sorry! on Friday evening and enjoyed the absurdity of it. Then reading through the description again once I'd seen the production, I think that the last line 'it no longer makes sense, to the point of absurdity' describes it perfectly. I hope that Warwick Arts Centre continue working with Footsbarn.
Han-Na at 10:15am on Mon 14th Jun 2010
Great show loved the cat!
kirsty at 11:39am on Mon 14th Jun 2010
My three friends and i have just been scouring the internet to find out more about this incredibly badly performed and written piece which we just saw in Victoria Park in London (july 3). having loved things like slava's snowshow and up for anything basically as long as it was good, we were AMAZED at how dreadful this was. thank god we have found on this forum some other people who thought so too. thankyou to all who have posted some criticisms as I have never done so before but needed to cathartically relieve some of the frustration me and my friends all feel after this dreadful, life-sapping show.
Helene RALLO at 10:55pm on Sat 3rd Jul 2010
We saw this show in the quite renowned theater Carre in Amsterdam where it's on for almost two weeks, which we could not understand at all when we saw it. Absurdity is the motto of this show. To me the biggest absurdity is that a theatre of quite a reputation, keeps such a lame show on for so many nights, requiring the innocent punters to pay quite a hefty sum for this utter, unfunny gibberish
Peter at 12:38pm on Wed 21st Jul 2010
Having read these very assorted reviews not sure what to expect tonight in Polzeath,I will report back !
David Ash at 2:50pm on Fri 6th Aug 2010
Worth going the extra mile of the 150 return journey ! It was bonkers surreal thought provoking but above all very engaging and entertaining ,the spellbound children in the audience affirm that.It lacked coherence,and pace,it was bohemian and anarchic I loved it.
David Ash at 11:43am on Sat 7th Aug 2010
I agree with David Ash (although we didn't have to travel 150 miles to see Sorry! - we were staying just up the road from Polzeath) I thought the horses were every bit as good as those in Giffords Circus and I preferred the less frenetic, in your face pace of Sorry! I would certainly go and see another Footsbarn performance. What were the detractors expecting, I wonder?
Charlotte at 6:00pm on Fri 10th Sep 2010