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Press Release | New Companies in Residence

By May 5, 2021No Comments

Press release – May 2021

BODY POLITIC AND MOONGATE ANNOUNCED
AS OMNIBUS THEATRE’S NEW COMPANIES IN RESIDENCE

Body Politic photo credit: Camilla Greenwell

Moongate photo credit: Ikin Yum

Omnibus Theatre is delighted to announce Body Politic and Moongate as their first Companies in Residence, a new annual scheme launched by the theatre. The announcement comes as Omnibus Theatre prepares to reveal its first full artistic programme since closure, kicking off 21st June.

Body Politic first came to Omnibus Theatre in 2019 with Father Figurine, their poignant exploration of the stigmas around mental health of men and boys through provocative hip hop theatre. They return later this month with a takeover of the theatre’s flagship artist development programme Engine Room.

Omnibus Theatre’s previous collaboration with Moongate WeRNotVirus (The Guardian’s ‘Hottest Front Room Seat’) has been viewed over 5,000 times and is still available to watch on the theatre’s YouTube channel. They are currently developing their next multimedia project and will be running creative salon sessions at Omnibus on the first Monday of every month this summer.

Artistic Director of Body Politic Emma-Jane Greig comments: “There’s something really special about the relationship you build with the first ever venue that takes a ‘punt’ on you and gives you the support and advocacy you need to validate your work and artistic vision. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and really excited about the future of this partnership and what we can build together.”

Moongate comments: “Omnibus has given Moongate a fantastic opportunity to continue to platform diverse East/South East Asian heritage stories across a multitude of disciplines, genres, style and approach. Together we will create a space where we can explore, challenge and play. We are hugely grateful for this opportunity as we look to reshape our industry at this difficult time into the brilliant, urgent, vibrant and truly inclusive forum we firmly believe it can be.”

Artistic Director of Omnibus Theatre Marie McCarthy comments: “We are so excited to have these two fantastic companies working with us for the next year. Both create provocative, dynamic work with a powerful, uncompromising voice and I can’t wait to see what we build together.”

Body Politic will perform and discuss their latest work THEM as part of Omnibus Theatre’s Engine Room on Monday 17th May. This sensitive yet bold evening will be broadcast live on Zoom, free tickets are available now on the Omnibus Theatre website.

For further information please contact Eleanor Grice: eleanor.grice@omnibus-clapham.org,
Tel: 07825558780

-ENDS –


NOTES TO EDITORS
About Body Politic
Founded in Oxford in 2012, Emma-Jane Greig is the Artistic Director of not-for-profit Hip-Hop theatre company Body Politic, who are committed to creating issue-based work through performance and participation.

As well as professional touring, Body Politic run and enriching education programme which consists of regular classes, workshops, leadership training, and internships. The project supports young people through the development of transferrable skills which will boost future employability and attainment. @BodyPoliticUK

About Moongate
Founded by actors/creatives and activists Jennifer Lim and Daniel York Loh, Moongate aims to create high-quality challenging work that bursts out of the “cultural niche” box and propels East/Southeast Asians into the mainstream of British media by being sharp, funny, edgy, and relevant. By creating work of a high artistic standard that will help free East/Southeast Asian actors and artists from having to portray pale imitations of a mythical “culture” that is often a million miles from the everyday reality of the lives they lead and does not even do justice to the vibrancy and diversity of their cultural heritage. Moongate projects include: WeRNotVirus (online in association with Omnibus Theatre), Night Lives (short film), The Fu Manchu Complex (Ovalhouse), The Orphan of Zhao Redux, Dream of Emerald Hill, Forgotten遗忘(Arcola & Theatre Royal Plymouth). @moongateprods

About Omnibus Theatre
Omnibus Theatre is a multi award-winning independent theatre in Clapham, South London. Finalist in the Fringe Theatre of the Year 2019 The Stage Awards, Off-West End award winner 2018 and 2020, and recipient of the Peter Brook/Royal Court Theatre Support Award in 2016. The heart of the organisation’s ambitious programme lies in classics re-imagined, modern revivals and new writing. Omnibus Theatre also provides a platform for LGBTQ+ work and aims to give voice to the under-represented and challenge perceptions. Since opening in 2013 notable in-house productions include Woyzeck (2013), Macbeth (2014), Colour (2015), Mule (2016), Spring Offensive(2017), Zeraffa Giraffa (2017), Queens of Sheba (2019) and The Little Prince (2019). Omnibus Theatre is led by Artistic Director Marie McCarthy. Patrons include Dame Judi Dench, Sir Michael Gambon, Matthew Warchus, Sir Richard Eyre and Maggi Hambling. The organisation is a registered charity and receive no core funding. @Omnibus_Theatre

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