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1st Ever Sign Language
Musical Visits Unity Theatre!
THIS spring, the acclaimed Krazy Kat
Theatre Company presents the world premiere of the 1st ever sign language
musical for families. Oliver In the Overworld, a family show for 3 to 7
year olds, visits Unity Theatre, on Saturday, 20 May 2017. Created by
multi award winning Artistic Director Kinny Gardner and featuring hand crafted
puppets, captivating song and dance and fully integrated sign language, Oliver
In The Overworld tells the surreal, picaresque tale of Freddie, a little deaf
boy who travels to The Overworld, The Land of Machinery. His quest is to seek
the mechanical parts to mend the memory of his best friend Oliver the
Grandfather Clock. Encountering a rich array of heroes and villains along the
way, Freddie is on a mission and no 1 will stop him.
Freddie's madcap musical adventure tackles the acceptance of old age, its
associated loss of mental facilities and children's abilities to assist in the
resolution of conflict. It is also a colourful celebration of difference in both
ability and social background. The Krazy
Kat Theatre Company was established in 1982 by Kinny Gardner and Alastair S
Macmillan, as a fully professional touring company, creating innovative and
imaginative visual theatre. The company specialises in introducing young people
and their grown ups to the delights of live visual theatre, combining mime,
dance, song, Commedia dell Arte, puppets and sign language. With an emphasis on
the highly visual, the work engages with many audiences whose first language is
not English. This has led to invitations to festivals in:- Spain, Holland,
France and Italy in addition to touring nationally throughout the UK. Past
productions include:- A Victorian Mikado, The Singing Ringing Tree, A Tempest
with Nottingham Playhouse and Edmund the Learned Pig with The Royal Exchange
Theatre Manchester.
Kinny Gardner was a member of 'The Scottish Mime Theatre' for many
years and is seen by both the Deaf and Hearing communities as a major innovator
within visual theatre using Sign Language Arts. He has a wealth of experience
from classical dance to mime, Kabuki to Comedia dell' Arte and has performed in
many shows including:- Godspell, The Rocky Horror Show and The Mousetrap in the
West End and regionally in:- The Pirates of Penzance, Chicago, Marat / Sade, The
Threepenny Opera, Assassins, and Cabaret. Kinny is a principal guest artist with
The Lindsay Kemp Company, with whom he continues to tour the world's opera
houses. His directing work has taken him all over the world and includes over 42
productions for Krazy Kat. He is currently a Development Adviser to BBC Cbeebies,
working on new mainstream Sign Language television projects for children. His
many awards include:- The British Empire Medal for services to the Arts and
Disability.
Tickets for Oliver in the Overworld are now available via Unity Theatre's
website and by calling the Box Office on:-
0151 709 4988. |
