Cambridge stop on digital tour for dance-theatre show Drowntown
In choreographer Rhiannon Faith’s new show, Drowntown – named in the Evening Standard’s eight ‘best dance shows to see in 2020’ – six strangers, weighed down by individual darkness, come to a deprived coastal land.
Seemingly abandoned, there is no one to help but themselves. Stuck between the remains of a broken community and the vast bleakness of the sea, they struggle with isolation, shame and failed support systems.
Drowntown’s live world premiere was set for June 2020 at London’s Barbican but had to be postponed due to Covid. In reaction to the pandemic, Faith – a double National Dance Awards nominee – has teamed up with award-winning Big Egg Films to create a multi-camera film version of the show. After premiering in London, it will tour digitally throughout June, including a stop at the Cambridge Junction.
The production uses autobiographical testimonials and text to give voice to the vulnerable and unheard in Britain’s areas of social deprivation. Rhiannon said: “Drowntown was made with a hope to heal a broken world.
"With the profound loneliness and isolation many have experienced during the lockdowns, I really didn’t want to delay the opportunity for people to see it. As communities start to put their lives back together, this show is asking that everyone is included in the process, and there is authentic belonging for all.”
The world premiere and press night will be hosted by The Barbican on June 1 at 7pm. Watch via the Barbican website at barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2021/event/rhiannon-faith-company-drowntown-film, then join the team on Facebook at 8.45pm for a live Q&A with Rhiannon Faith, psychologist Joy Griffiths, selected performers and others.
This will be recorded and can also be watched after on-demand screenings. In the 2021 National Dance Awards, Rhiannon Faith Company has been nominated for Best Independent Company, and Rhiannon for Best Digital Choreography for her work on the Drowntown ‘prequel’, Drowntown Lockdown.
Drowntown will be on at The Junction from Monday, June 7 to Sunday, June 13, and will be available to stream all day. Visit junction.co.uk.
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