Bench

Event Information

A couple meet on a park bench to discuss a life-changing secret. A screening of People Show's newest short film, BENCH. Shot on an iPhone in Lewisham's Blythe Hill.

Bench was the winner of BEST ROMANCE at Absurd Film Festival Milan, BEST SHORT FILM at New York Movie Awards and BEST ACTRESS and BEST WRITING at Top Indie Movie Awards, Tokyo. Afterwards, there will be a Q&A with the Directors and Producer of the film.

Contributors

People Show

We are People Show. We are a collective company of artists who form the UK’s first experimental theatre company. Informed by a rich legacy of performance dating back to 1966, every new show we make is given a number to instigate our next creative enquiry. Creatively, we are always shifting shape, actively defying definition…

Our non-hierarchical approach to creating live performance and new theatrical work has always gone against the grain and resisted form. Unanchored by traditional theatrical structure, each of our shows becomes an expression of whatever and whoever arrives at the rehearsal room on day one of the making process. We take inspiration from everywhere, respond to the moment, and never limit the scope of our ideas. Over the past 50 years, we have created devised performances in theatres, in fields, in telephone boxes, on streets, even on water.

In a world where possibilities seem limitless, but there is so much pressure on the arts, the more important preserving this creative freedom feels. Nothing is predetermined. We can’t tell programmers, press or the most important people - our audiences - what they are coming to see. It’s risky and unpredictable. But we love it and wouldn’t want to do it any other way. Thank you for daring with us. We are all People Show.

Director and Writer

Gareth Brierley is a London-based actor, writer, director, and theatre-maker. He has worked as a performer/writer for the RSC, Stans Café, Manchester Royal Exchange and Forced Entertainment. He has written over 80 shows, including the play Nice People, which won the Brighton Festival Angel Award (2008) & was shown on Sky Arts for a number of years. Gareth is co-director with Bernadette Russell of the company White Rabbit, telling stories in film, audio & theatre; most recently, the 90-second stories project on YouTube. He is a long-standing member of People Show & was also the director of the company’s films The Jossers, 138: LAST DAY, SNEEZE and BENCH.

Director

Fiona Creese is a performer, writer and choreographer. As a core member of People Show, she has co-created and performed in many productions. She has also led many educational projects at the University of Roehampton, including the award-winning short film The Last Day, Middlesex University and The Bush Theatre. As a member of The Kosh, Fiona danced in shows including Falling Angels, Waving at the Tide and Twentieth Century Girls. Fiona is a co-artistic director of Slot Machine Theatre, whose credits include: One Snowy Night, The Scooter Ballet Project, The Boy, the Piano and the Beach, and The Ukulele Evangelists. Fiona is the director of BENCH and recently starred in People Show's other short film SNEEZE.

Producer

Maya Willcocks is a Theatre and Film Producer, Performer and VO. Recently, she provided voiceover for The National Gallery's permanent collection and 22 Bishopsgate's viewing platform (Horizon 22). As a producer, she has worked on several People Show projects, including: 137: God Knows How Many, 130: The Last Straw and 145: The Diviners. Maya has produced several of the People Show short films, including 138: LAST DAY, Sneeze and Bench.

Social media

@mayasahrawillcocks

Location

Location: Art Hub, Stanley St, London SE8 4BL

What3words: ///whips.shins.starts