Theatre

We find interesting places like allotments, cemeteries, cycle paths or old buildings and use the sites (and the people and things we find there) to create our shows. We want to connect with our audience in a new way.

Our work is often in the open air, our audiences are often on foot and travel around the show with us and we like to interact with the audience and involve them in the work we create – truly site-responsive theatre.

Why do we do it?

We want to make theatre that talks about the environment, social justice and English heritage. For us it’s really important to make new work about the issues that are affecting our world today but we want to do it without preaching and with a large dose of humour and fun.

Our main focus is to inspire debate between audience members and to empower them to take action in their lives for a positive, healthier future. Our participatory approach helps people to engage more practically with the themes in our shows.

How do we do it?

The work we create is generated in response to the site that we choose to use and the work is directly related to what we find there.

For instance, for Roots we wanted to create a show on an allotment and this linked well with our interest in food security in post-oil world. When we devise at the site we respond to the stimuli that we find there.  For example, a person who uses the site may tell us a story that we end up using, or words on a sign may generate text that we use in the final piece.

We use all our research to build characters, inform narrative, select verbatim quotes and use the items found along the way as props or as inspiration for props. All this combines to create a show that is more rooted in its subject matter, evokes a more personal response to the issues for the audience member and also has a much lower environmental footprint than conventional building-based theatre.

We work really hard to make sure that our work is ethical and sustainable. Mainly working in the open air and at close quarters, we don’t often need lights or amplified sound and when we do it is powered by renewable energy. We also use found or recycled sets and costumes, use public transport or bikes to get around and eat locally and seasonally. We try to use local companies and when we take commissions or create work for organisations. We only ever take on the project if we feel it meets our ethical criteria.

We can’t do it without you

Whether it’s taking part in the research we do in the community or at the site we’re working in, or through volunteering: people are at the centre of what we do.

Kilter is a not-for-profit organisation and the way we make theatre means that we rely heavily on the energy and goodwill of others.

We’re always on the look out for volunteers to help us. Past volunteers have been our box office, ushers, prop-makers, cake bakers and even performers in our shows. If you’d like to get involved or find out more about our theatre work and commissions,  please contact Caroline – caroline :at: kiltertheatre :dot: org