This weekend and next, Bay Area theatre goers will have a chance to see People Show, one of the most influential British theatre institutions of the past half century. People Show burst onto the scene in 1966 pioneering the first documented site specific devised theatre piece. (Coincidentally, their “partners-in-crime” on that occasion were a rock group with the moniker “Pink Floyd.” You might have heard of them.)
Sam Shepard recently remarked, “Theater without People Show would be like music without rock ‘n roll.”
Over the years, while garnering recognition at such institutions as the London and Edinburgh Fringe festivals and touring the world, the company has presented devised theatre pieces in such varied settings as traditional theatres, a telephone booth, the basement of a bookstore, in fields and even on water.
As recently as this year, scholars and critics have identified “immersive theatre”, “site specific theatre”, and “devised theatre” as the avante garde in 2013. People Show was pioneering these “new” approaches fifty years ago, and they are still going strong.
Their current piece, “The Detective Show,” won awards for its inaugural production in London earlier this year.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see this company that has been called “a national treasure,” “one of England’s most influential performance groups,” “madly experimental,” and “visually stunning”.
You get the idea? Go!
To further whet your appetite, here is a video interview of the company conducted by The Storming Bohemian (c’est moi) in anticipation of opening night:
TheatreStorm 