Award-winning and internationally-acclaimed physical theatre company Gecko has announced it is developing its eighth show, commissioned by the National Theatre.
The show, which is currently in development, will premiere and tour from autumn 2022 before performing at the National Theatre in 2023. The show is supported by Lighthouse, Poole and London International Mime Festival, with other partners to be confirmed soon.
Gecko creates physical theatre of artistic excellence, endeavouring to deepen human connection through visual, visceral and ambitious performance. As the Gecko ensemble enter a second phase of research and development, Artistic Director Amit Lahav and the devising performers bring their own experiences of migration, family, home and racism to the show’s creation.
Gecko’s Artistic Director, Amit Lahav, said: “I am thrilled to be developing this new show commissioned by the National Theatre and can’t wait for the company to perform there for the first time in 2023. This is the perfect start to the next chapter for the company and my own artistic journey.
It feels right to be making a piece that explores migration, racism and family, particularly when reflecting on the events of the last 18 months. It is a theme that is incredibly important for our audience, Gecko and the National Theatre and we’re excited to be continuing and deepening our relationships together as we enter our next phase of research and development.”
Amit spends at least three years creating a new production which sees him go through periods of highly intensive experimentation in a rehearsal studio, to periods of solitary research and reflection. The eighth show, the title of which is to be confirmed, is currently in the writing phase, involving storyboarding, experimentation with design and movement ideas, and rehearsals with the company’s creative team and international ensemble of devising performers.
Following a reunion in Israel with his grandmother Leah in 2017, Amit began imagining the 2,000km journey her family embarked upon to escape persecution. It is nearly 90 years since Leah made her walk from Yemen to Palestine at the age of four in 1932. Through breath-taking design and expressive physical performance, Gecko’s new show asks how compassion and empathy can be cultivated at a time when the re-birth of community and acceptance seem vital to society’s survival.
The National Theatre’s Director, Rufus Norris, said: “I’ve been following Gecko’s work for a number of years and have a growing admiration for their dynamic and fearless approach to story in motion. Allied to this their commitment to internationalism, with completely integrated educational work, as well as their deeply embedded UK wide touring ethos, is hugely impressive. Their presence at the National Theatre is overdue, and we look forward very much to them being with us.”
