Cake Theatre marries the mundane with the epic, contemporary with ritual, blows ordinary situations and relationships into absurd proportions and works towards an all encompassing intensity that is experienced rather than understood on a purely rational level. Silence and restraint co-exist with eruptions of explosive spectacle, the result is a theatre that is always relevant and challenging.

BROKENESS is a potent and recurring theme in Cake’s work . Using found and original texts as a starting point, laboratory participants will share, explore and discover the artistic possibilities of this notion. Natalie Hennedige will also illustrate the manner in which Cake puts together works through the infusion of text, sound, visuals and physical composition.

Natalie Hennedige is the Artistic Director of Cake Theatrical Productions, a Singapore-based contemporary theatre company committed to creating original works that marry bold experimentation with the traditions of theatrical convention. In just four years Cake has presented eleven main season productions and four outdoor theatrical performances. Natalie was involved in conceptualising, writing and directing most of these works. In 2006, she directed " Divine Soap ", a contemporary re-imagining of Bangsawan (Traditional Malay Opera) commissioned for the opening festival of the National Museum of Singapore. In 2008, Natalie was awarded Best Director at The Straits Times Life! Theatre " Awards for Nothing " , which also won Production of the Year. In the same year, she wrote and directed " Temple ", which was presented at the Singapore Arts Festival and Napoli Teatro Festival Italia. Most recently, she was invited to collaborate with leading Malaysian arts collective Five Arts Centre to write and direct " Cuckoo Birds ", as part of their 25th year anniversary celebrations. In 2007, Natalie was awarded the Young Artist Award by Singapore’s National Arts Council.

http://www.caketheatre.com/

The Centre for Performance Research has invited some of the most exciting and diverse Wales based and international theatre directors to Aberystwyth for an intensive participatory project that offers a rare opportunity for both experienced and emerging directors to gather and share the methods, approaches and skills of professional directing practice via laboratories and presentations, demonstrations and dialogue.

For more information or to book a place at the Directors' Forum please contact CPR:

Phone: 01970 622 133
email: cprwww@aber.ac.uk
web: www.thecpr.org.uk
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=276478667399

The Directors Forum has been made possible with the support of a project grant from the Arts Council of Wales.