30 Bird Productions

Plastic

by Mehrdad Seyf

1-24 August 2008

Pleasance UnderGrand, Edinburgh
Booking information
In person:
Pleasance Courtyard, 60 The Pleasance
OR: Pleasance Dome Box Office, Potterow, 1 Bristo Square
By telephone: 0131 446 6550
Online: www.pleasance.co.uk/edinburgh
Ticket Prices: £9.50 (£8.00 concessions)
Show dates and times:
16:30 & 18:00: August 1, 4, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24
20:00 & 21:30: August 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22
13:00 & 14:30: August 3, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23
The production is suitable for 13+ years.

You’re a man and you want to become a woman? The Islamic Republic of Iran can help.
30 Bird invites you to experience a new world of dark comedy and striking images; sex change, botox, pickle and jam.
‘A gorgeous-looking piece of serious fun’ (The Persian Revolution, The Herald)
Presented in the subterranean arches of the Pleasance UnderGrangd, 30 Bird bring their unique blend of visuals, humour and song to the Fringe for the first time.
Plastic explores one man’s quest to enter the world of women in a dynamic and stylish piece that combines video, architecture, lighting, music and performance in an intimate surreal show.
The production is supported by Escalator East to Edinburgh and created in association with The Pleasance and the Iran Heritage Foundation and in collaboration with Virgule Performing Arts, Tehran.

Credits

Cast
Ali Amadi
Yasmin Bodalbhai
Gemma Donohue
Sara Reyhani

Creative team

Director and Writer Mehrdad Seyf
Costume Design Leslie Travers
Spatial Design Torange Khonsari (Pubic Works)
Lighting Design Guy Kornetzki (Elektra Lighting Ltd)
Video Artist Meika Dresenkamp
Composition Squint/Opera/Music
Co-Choreographer Gemma Donohue
Producer Claire Hicks
Assistant Producer Helen Heywood
Production Manager David Harraway
Production Intern Koen Deveux
Stage Manager James Theobold
Graphic Designer Liam Relph
Publicity and PR Wendy Niblock

Biographies

Cast Biographies

Ali Amadi
Ali trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama. He appeared in 30 Bird’s UK tours of Majnoun in 2006 and The Persian Revolution in 2007. Theatre credits include Oliver (As You Like It) and Caliban (The Tempest) for Arkansas Shakespeare Festival, Bianca/Duke (Othello) at BAC, Hoopoe (The Birds) at the Edinburgh Festival and Bagheera (The Jungle Book) at the Library Theatre, Manchester. Film and TV credits include Voices Inside and Heaven as well as BBC1 and BBC 3 productions.

Yasmin Bodalbhai
Yasmin trained at The Poor School after graduating with a degree in Arabic and
French at Oxford University. Credits include the title role in the Arabic language play Julia Domna, Leila and Polyxeni in Birds Without Wings for Eastern Angles (UK tour), the lead role of Aisha in Iraq 2020 for the BBC, Olive in Asylum Monologues at the
Young Vic and Cleopatra in Dionysus Unbound for Splitmoon Theatre. She has recently completed filming the regular part of Liz in Love in Hyde Park for MBC. She toured in 30 Bird Production’s The Persian Revolution last year.

Gemma Donohue
Gemma graduated in Dance from Roehampton Institute in 2003. Her training in Classical Singing, Acting and Dancing has catalysed an approach to choreography which borrows elements from many art forms, and has encouraged collaborations with artists in many fields. Beginning her choreographic career producing work for her company G Minor, her interrogative approach has inspired work with Designer Geraldine Pilgrim, Performance Artist Marisa Carnesky, Theatre Director Mehrdad Seyf, Choreographer Chard Gonzalez, Film Maker Julio Pereira, Choreographer Irven Lewis, Fine Artists Joseph Schneider and Dan Graham, and renound Czech Installation Artist Petr Nikl (as part of The Festival Of Eastern and Central European Theatre.) She is currently engaged in a project with new writing collective DryWrite.

Sara Reyhani
Graduating from Azad University of Art (Graphic Design) Sara began dancing professionally in 2001. In that year she appeared as a solo dancer in the first post revolution dance performance in Iran; The Epic of the Stone Revolution, choreographed by Ms. Farzaneh Kaboli and Nader Rajabpour. Sara first choreographed in 2002 for the short film A Circle Without A Centre directed by Oldooz Ahmadzadeh.
She subsequently worked on a number of theatre productions including as dancer and choreographer in Dance on Glasses and A Letter From Tent Land an Iranian and German co-production directed by Helena Waldman, both performed throughout Europe 2004-06.
In 2006 Sara joined Virgule with a dual role of General Manager/Producer and Performer/Choreographer. She was dancer and choreographer in “on the wings of Night’s Crew” (a re-reading of Sigmund Freud’s Life) 2006 and Butterfly & Yoke 2007, as well as in 7 Commandments for Being Contemporary in 2008.

Creative Team Biographies

Mehrdad Seyf – Writer/Director
Mehrdad was born in Tehran and has lived in the UK since his teens; he was
educated at the Lycée Français in Tehran and London. After studying Literature and
Philosophy, he trained as a psychoanalyst at the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research and subsequently worked for 3 years as an analyst. He trained as an actor/director with Complicité, Monica Pagneux, Zoltowski and Lorna Marshall. He formed 30 Bird Productions, an Anglo-Iranian theatre and film company, ten years ago at Riverside Studios and his productions of Majnoun and The Persian Revolution have toured the UK. He has written two radio plays for Radio 4, The Virgin, for Stages of Sound, and Yalda as part of The City Speaks project for Radio 4 and Film London. He recently made his film directorial debut with the film Shoes for BBC look East and Arts Council England. Mehrdad has written and directed all of 30 Bird’s projects to date.

Leslie Travers – Associate Designer (Costume)
Leslie is an award-winning designer whose work includes H. Marschner’s opera Hans Haling (winner of the European Opera Competition), Swan Lake and The Nutcracker for K-Ballet Tokyo (Asahi Award winner for choreography & design); Silent Cry (WYP) Veriete (Lindsay Kemp Company World Tour) The Lark Ascending (ENB).
Leslie has designed all 30 Bird theatre venue productions including the two touring shows Majnoun and Persian Revolution.

Torange Khonsari – Spatial Designer
Born in Tehran, Torange has lived in the UK since 1984. She trained as an architect/spatial designer at Duncan Jordstone College of Art in Scotland qualifying with a BA Hons in environmental studies and RIBA part 1. She then went onto specialise in Urbanism and Architecture at postgraduate level at the Architectural Association where she achieved AA Dipl and RIBA part 2. In 1998 She co-founded Studio 3 Architects where they specialised in design of public spaces and constructed situations/events that activated them. During this period Studio 3 loosely collaborated with Andreas Lang and Kathrin Boehm who were engaged in participatory art projects in the Public space. Studio 3 Merged with Boehm and Lang and they formed the practice public works in 2003.Torange’s projects include: Park products – Serpentine Gallery; Purfleet postcards of visionary Thurrock – curated by General Public Agency; Picture High House – Thurrock council; Sarve a feasibility for vertical gardens in Shiraz – IAARA; Public works was selected as an practice at the British art show 05 where Torange was involved in the events created as part of our piece touring the UK. Torange is a Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University teaching collaborative participatory design.
www.publicworksgroup.net

Guy Kornetzki (Elektra Lighting Ltd) – Lighting Designer
Born in Israel, and trained at Tel-Aviv University and Rose Bruford College, London, Guy has been based in the UK since 1999.
Theatre design includes: Other Hands (Soho Theatre), Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams (Finborough Theatre), Faster (Filter theatre company at BAC, Lyric Hammersmith), This Story of Yours (New End theatre), Have I none (Southwark Playhouse), Stolen Time for Resolution!2002 (MAP Dance Company), and as assistant to Paule Constable on various projects including Magic Flute and Macbeth (ROH), Cosi Fan Tutte (ENO).
He was also lighting designer for The Magnets (international pop band) from 1999 to 2006 and for a range of music theatre and music revues.
In 2006 Guy joined Elektra Lighting a company of independent lighting designers. As independent lighting consultants they create lighting solutions for a range of commercial spaces - hotels, retail, restaurants, bars, work places as well as for exhibitions and private houses.

Meika Dresenkamp - Film Artist
Studied Visual Communication at the Hochschule für bildende Künste in Hamburg, and at the Camberwell College of Art in London and created her first media theatre project Spielverkehrt in 1999. It was followed by various project developments for script, and smaller theatre- and videoworks.
Since 2000 she has been working as a video artist for theatre;with directors Stefan Pucher (The Seagull/Schauspielhaus Hamburg, Three Sisters/Schauspielhaus Zürich), Falk Richter (Unter Eis/Ruhrtriennale), Renè Pollesch (Das Purpurne Muttermal/Burgtheater Wien) and Jan Bosse (Anna Karenina, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin/Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen).
Meika is a permanent member of Christoph Schlingensief’s team and participated as film- and video-artist among others in the projects Freakstars 3000, ATTA/Volksbühne Berlin, Church Of Fear/Biennale Venice 2003, Bambiland/Burgtheater Vienna and the opera creation of PARSIFAL/Bayreuther Festspiele 2004.
After the collaboration Project Between Amateurs in 2006 with dancer and chorographer Simone Aughterlony Meika is now working on her first feature film.

Squint/Opera/Music – Composers
Comprising of two award winning composers / sound designers the company create tailor made sound and music for film, animation, multi- media, games, installation and performance.
Sam Britton and Will Worsley began working as Squint/Opera in 2002 and have, over some 30 short films and animations developed a unique style of soundtrack composition, fusing the music, sound effects and foley into one seamless narrative.
Will Worsley
Following a degree in Architectural History at Edinburgh University and having gained a reputation for promoting and recording local acts, Will Worsley began working as a music engineer / producer for numerous recording studios and artists whose work has been released through both independent and major labels (Parlophone, Warner Music, XL, V2, EMI, Sony / Universal). By 2003 he was being sought out by various record companies to work on sessions with, amongst others, Grace Jones, Cat Stevens / Yusef Islam and Craig David. In 2004 he joined the creative team at Squint/Opera, working as a composer and sound designer and set up his own recording studio / production facility, Trouble Studios. Alongside his work as a composer / sound designer he also continues to produce and record a wide range of up and coming independent artists.
Sam Britton
Following an apprenticeship as a sound engineer in New York in 1995, Sam Britton studied architecture at the Architectural Association from 1996 to 1999. He began writing electronic music in 1996 in which he is almost entirely self taught. Since 1997 he has recorded and released music for a number of independent electronic music labels in the UK and the US (Output Recordings, Temporary Residence, Domino and The Leaf Label) to significant critical acclaim and continues to perform as ‘Icarus’ (with Ollie Bown) all over Europe. He began working with Squint/Opera at the inception of the company in 2002, composing soundtracks to their films and animations and evolving his own creative practice in line with their developing production style. In 2006 he attended a masters course in electronic music and composition at IRCAM in Paris (one of the only students in its history to have been accepted without having completed an undergraduate degree in composition). Currently, he continues to work with Squint/Opera and numerous independent directors and film-makers in Europe and the UK, whilst also releasing records commercially under various pseudonyms.

Gemma Donohue – Co-choreographer
Gemma graduated in Dance from Roehampton Institute in 2003. Her training in Classical Singing, Acting and Dancing has catalysed an approach to choreography which borrows elements from many art forms, and has encouraged collaborations with artists in many fields. Beginning her choreographic career producing work for her company G Minor, her interrogative approach has inspired work with Designer Geraldine Pilgrim, Performance Artist Marisa Carnesky, Theatre Director Mehrdad Seyf, Choreographer Chard Gonzalez, Film Maker Julio Pereira, Choreographer Irven Lewis, Fine Artists Joseph Schneider and Dan Graham, and renound Czech Installation Artist Petr Nikl (as part of The Festival Of Eastern and Central European Theatre.) She is currently engaged in a project with new writing collective DryWrite.

Virgule Performing Arts

Virgule was formed by Arvand Dashtaray in 2002 to develop work addressing the current ideas and concerns of young Iranians and drawing on a broad range of forms beyond those generally used in the government supported dramatic arts sector. Virgule’s work fuses movement and text in a visual theatre style.
The company’s most recent work includes participating in 2007 in a dance performance project with 8 international partners (developed in France) culminating in performances of * “7 Commandments for Becoming Contemporary” co-directed with Sara Reyhani and written by Tala Moetazedi. Virgule’s latest work Find The Way has been shown at Tehran’s Fadj International Theatre Festival and in July was performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East, London.
Arvand Dashtaray (Artistic Director, Virgule)
With a BA in Industrial Design in Tehran Arvand began working in theatre in Iran both as a set designer and director in 2000. Design work includes working with Ehsan Foka, and more recently with Arezo Ali and Tinouch Nazmjou. Directing has covered work by M. Rezaei-Rad, Mohammad Carmshire, Hussein Pakdel and John Fossel. Arvand has also acted with Sharou Kharadmand and Attila Peysani, as well as in Virgule’s own work. His Productions for Virgule include: On the Wings of Night’s Crew 2007, Walking on clouds with closed eyes 2006, Butterfly and Yoke 2005, The dream attached to a horse that doesn’t collapse 2005, Jackal’s Wedding 2004, The 8th Adventure 2003.
Prior to Virgule, Arvand was key in establishing Red art group and Iran’s first creative shop, in 1999 and 2004 respectively.
In 2006 Arvand made his first short film, It Doesn’t Match Please Try Again.
Sara Reyhani (Choreographer, Virgule)
Graduating from Azad University of Art (Graphic Design) Sara began dancing professionally in 2001. In that year she appeared as a solo dancer in the first post revolution dance performance in Iran; The Epic of the Stone Revolution, choreographed by Ms. Farzaneh Kaboli and Nader Rajabpour. Sara first choreographed in 2002 for the short film A Circle Without A Centre directed by Oldooz Ahmadzadeh.
She subsequently worked on a number of theatre productions including as dancer and choreographer in Dance on Glasses and A Letter From Tent Land an Iranian and German co-production directed by Helena Waldman, both performed throughout Europe 2004-06.
In 2006 Sara joined Virgule with a dual role of General Manager/Producer and Performer/Choreographer. She was dancer and choreographer in “on the wings of Night’s Crew” (a re-reading of Sigmund Freud’s Life) 2006 and Butterfly & Yoke 2007, as well as in 7 Commandments for Being Contemporary in 2008.

Production Biographies

David Harraway - Production Manager
Most recently managing Springboard - New writing festival, Sherman Cymru and the RSC Roundhouse seating installation transfer. Previously Into the Hoods – Technical Manager and Production Advisor runs at Edinburgh – Udderbelly 2006, The Peacock 2006, Pleasance Grand 2007, Wales Millennium Centre 2007 and 2006-07 Event Facilitator for the RSC Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations. From October 2004 to April 2006 he was Resident Stage Manager at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre.
Since April 2006 David has been Production Supervisor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where his responsibilities include lecturing in Stage Management and Stage Craft, supervising shows and running their Edinburgh Fringe Festival venue.

James Theobald – Stage Manager
James has worked on a range of productions from small to mid-scale theatre, on site specific work and on tours.
His work includes DSM or ASM on Tartuffe, The Flint Street Nativity, Noises Off, Much Ado About Nothing (Liverpool Playhouse), 3 Sisters of Hope Street (Liverpool Everyman and Hampstead Theatre) Julius Caesar, Jack and the Beanstalk (Liverpool Everyman), Yellow Man (Hampstead) and as CSM on Cinderella (Stanley Hall Opera), Kurdish Garden (Lyric Hammersmith), as well as SM for R&D weeks for Kneehigh and Daniel Kramer.

Koen Deveux – Production Intern
Koen was born in Belgium, Herk-De-Stad. Initially he studied to be a technical maintenance engineer before turning to Stage Techniques for a higher degree at the RITS in Brussels. He has worked on theatre tours and large-scale events in Belgium, but wants to work more internationally. He is now on the Post Graduate Stage Management course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. His fields of interest are production, light and video.

Wendy Niblock – Publicity
Wendy has been a freelance Arts Administrator and Arts Publicist/Marketer since 1994.
Past clients have included: 7:84 Theatre Company Scotland, TAG Theatre Company, Suspect Culture, Citizens’ Theatre, NVA, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Paisley Arts Centre, The Peter Darrell Trust, Promenade Productions (The Big Picnic), Anatomy Performance Company, The Pleasance Theatre (London), Theatre Cryptic and Cryptic Productions, Scottish Arts Council, Fife Council, Dance Base, Company Chordelia, Lung Ha’s Theatre Company, Scottish Opera, Scottish Academy of Asian Arts, Aurora Nova, Bank of Scotland Children’s International Theatre Festival and Assembly Theatre Ltd.

Liam Relph – Graphic Design
Since graduating in 2001 Liam has designed artwork for, amongst others; The Lyric Hammersmith, Hampstead Theatre, EMI, Universal, Random House, Hodder & Stoughton, Picador, Usborne Publishing, Donut Press, We Could Be Kings and Artrocker Magazine.
Liam has worked with 30 Bird since he created the print for Majnoun’s national tour in 2006.

Administration Biographies

Claire Hicks – Producer
Claire has engaged in a range of roles across artforms since 2004 when she began work with Playbox Young People’s Theatre Company. She has subsequently worked for Sampad (South Asian Arts Development), and created and initiated an art in the public realm programme for Optima housing association, Birmingham.
From 2003-05 she worked as Studio and Education Director at the Lyric Hammersmith, where she created theMIX. More recently Claire has worked for Arts Culture Harrow (Strategic Planning), Arts Council England, London (Senior Officer Combined Arts), and as Director of North Edinburgh Arts where she secured the organisation’s future from a position of financial crisis.
Claire is now based in Cambridge where she produces 30 Bird. Claire also works in the areas of dance management and support (clients -Arts Council England East and Tom Dale) and as an associate producer with Zendeh theatre company in Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Helen Heywood – Assistant Producer
Freelance Assistant Producer working with 30 Bird, Tom Dale (with producing team Two For Joy) for Rise at Edinburgh and with NIE.
Previously Producing Administrator with Manchester International Festival working alongside Jo Paton, (Producing Director) to develop commissions for the 2009 festival. Festival liaison with the Théâtre du Châtelet for the tour of visual arts show, Il Tempo del Postino to Paris.
Helen was Jerwood Young Producer, Manchester International Festival, June 2006 – October 2007, working on The Pianist (a site-specific adaptation of Wladyslaw Spzilman’s memoires for a narrator and pianist), Dead Wedding (retelling of the Orpheus myth by Faulty Optic with music by Mira Calix and Opera North) and Kapital (a new film by Greg Hall with music by Steve Martland).
She began her arts career as Assistant to the Directors, Lyric Hammersmith (August 2004 – June 2006) with Simon Mellor, Neil Bartlett and David Farr.