Earlier this year I was asked by Circus Space to direct their ensemble graduation show to be performed at the Royal National Theatre’s ‘Watch This Space’ stage on London’s Southbank. When I accepted, I had a lot of ideas that were rooted in Citrus Arts’ work with Wales-based director Philip Mackenzie; and wanted the students to feel that they were performing something sharp and political-looking that represented something about our times.

In between accepting the job and arriving at the first day of rehearsals, I was fortunate enough to work as Emerging Director on NTW’s “The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning” (NTW18). During the process of creating #NTW18 I saw how John McGrath and Tim Price approached young actors asking them to research the subject, and develop their individual knowledge and experience into their roles in an overtly political play.

Circus skills have inherent narrative limitations but, I felt confident that I could use some lessons from my experience on NTW18 to offer a subject which (I hope), allowed the students to create something which would become their show at the Southbank. Some of them had seen NTW18 on-line and suggested we pay tribute to its liberal use of A4 paper in their own ‘Wikileaks moment’.

The show was called “Take Your Seats!” and theme was a G20 summit of world leaders; here are some clips:

https://vimeo.com/49556448

The film is by Mark Morreau (www.morreaux.com)