As the theatre industry and wider society reels from the unprecedented shock of the coronavirus outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic, many producers and artists are taking the initiative to share work and support each other during these difficult times.
The team at IMMERSIVE LDN (the West End venue dedicated to developing and staging theatre-led immersive experiences, which like all London and UK theatres has closed its doors for the foreseeable future) today announce the full line up for the Housetrap Theatre & Arts Festival, which will now be taking place on Wednesday 8 April, streaming live from 6.30pm. Like so many people currently, the Immersive | LDN team are on a hiatus, but they have volunteered their isolation time to mount the House Trap Festival.
The Festival is donation based, so audiences can give as they are able, and all the money raised will be shared between the artists performing.
Performers applied to be part of the festival via www.immersiveldn.com/housetrap and the production team at IMMERSIVE LDN selected the following participants:
Christy Coysh
It’s a guy who makes music live on a loop pedal and does weird stuff in between? Is it funny? Yeah sure, I’ll give it a go.
Jack Bence
Join the two time “Rear of the year” winner, occasional delinquent and Current fugitive “Jack Bence” as he attempts to take your mind off the current madness we find ourselves in with his irreverent, witty stand up. He also does poetry. Judy Dench labelled him “Proper Witty” in one of Jacks recent night terrors.
Yun Collective (streaming live from Taiwan)
Every day the world is getting busier, yet there are things against us happening now and then. In some gloomy days, each of us needs to take a break. Yi zhan cha is about 15 minutes. It’s the term for people to brew and have a cup of tea in the Chinese tea ceremony. The time it takes, to quiet down your mind. Yun Collective borrows the Chinese tea brewing steps to create a meditative state. We invite our audience to join us on this mind cleansing journey during this challenging time. Raise your cups and dive into relaxation.
Joshua Welch
Coming live to your living rooms is the brash, no nonsense Northern powerhouse, Granny Grotbag who takes you on a trip down memory lane. A story of love, loss, dust, water infections and strength that is guaranteed to make you laugh, wince and cry into your cuppa! A story confirms that “old age is certainly no place for cissies.” The outrageous outings of young Northern lass out on the pull, finding the love of her life, raising her children and, now, facing the prospect of spending the last years of her life completely alone, after the death of her husband
Miracle Chance
Miracle Chance is an Actress and Singer/Songwriter currently playing ‘Christine Canigula’ in Be More Chill at The Other Palace. Hoping to bring some chilled vibes to your day, she’d like to entertain you with a couple of acoustic covers from shows she’s performed in, alongside some new music for your ears!
Joseph Cullen
Winner of Best Newcomer at VAULT Festival 2017, Joseph Cullen’s “You Having Olaf?” fuses character comedy and stand up in a way that’s painful to watch and upsetting to be around. Cullen disappeared into a rabbit hole of his own failings, but he’s back! At home, alone, as it was always intended. One reviewer claimed “the overwhelming urge to shake him has to be constrained” (Daniel Perks). But now you’re not allowed to touch him, so you’ll just have to sit through it.
The ISLO Collective
Patient Zero’ follows the development of 3 artificial intelligences through the Turing test. Each intelligence will take part in a number of tasks involving memory to determine their level of ‘human-ness’. Through Augmented reality and heavy use of sonic design, ‘Patient Zero’ depicts a utopia where humans are dispensable and seeks to ask the question: What happens when our bodies fail us but our minds still exist?
Ellie Hall
Ellie is a soulful pop singer songwriter based in London. Singing tales of love, lust, self love and the highs and lows of following your dreams.
Louis Hartshorn of Hartshorn-Hook Enterprises said, “We are thrilled that, even when deprived of access to our facilities, we can still find a way to create a platform for these talented performers. Artists were chosen to provide our audiences with an eclectic evening of entertainment and with acts from as far afield as Taiwan, we are thrilled that our artistic community is showing it is more united than ever.”
