Breakdown
Directed, devised and choreographed by Judy Gordon with media realisation by David Barnett.

Graduation show at Goldsmith’s College: a one-hour multi-media live art/physical theatre piece with eight ensemble performers including dancers, a classical opera singer and flautist.

Performed: January 1998, Studio 2, Goldsmiths College, London

The piece played with intertextuality using image, text, dance, live and recorded music, projected video and stills. The non-sequential work played with time based on the stories of real and fictional female icons from The Little Mermaid, Helen of Troy to Princess Diana to create a traditional ’story-telling’ style insistently interrupted by the dramatic present. Breakdown studied the nature of irrationality, where there are no rules and the most dangerous state of crisis ever-present. Through using cross-discipline theatre, the intention was to evoke rather than illustrate, calling upon all the senses.

With the audience seated on the floor in the middle of the performance space, the piece demanded that all (actors and spectators alike) played an active part in interpreting what was
being portrayed.

Performers: Annida Christofi, Sascha Berner, Stefan Karsberg, Joanna Dallas,
Emma Gawlinski, Katalin Varga, Alexander Ninoschino

Directing/Choreography: Judy Gordon

Media Design: Judy Gordon David Barnett

Original Music Composers: Annida Christofi Emma Gawlinski

Media Realisation: David Barnett

Lighting Design: Natasha Giblin

Lighting Operator: Philip Evans

Sound: Gareth Carter

Costume: Alison Vale

Stage Management: Students from Goldsmiths College

Main Texts from: Ulysses, James Joyce; Crime and Punishment,Dosteyevsky; Sappho to Eranna, Rilke and the company