Preview: Cymbeline, Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire
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Your support makes all the difference.Cornwall's Kneehigh Theatre company was founded in 1980 when a local schoolteacher, Mike Shepherd, realised that there were no theatres in the county. He found a group of likeminded locals and arranged shows wherever he could, from village halls to cliff-tops and beaches.
Kneehigh is still thriving. "Shepherd developed a huge audience very quickly, and that still exists," says Emma Rice, the current artistic director. "Kneehigh is very much a company owned by its community."
That said, Kneehigh is in no way a "rural" or "folksy" theatre company; it aims to produce contemporary and cutting-edge work, a mission that is enhanced by its environment. "The fact that we do it in Cornwall is radical," Rice says. "It forces us to do things you normally wouldn't. It makes the work very open and physical. If you work in the open air, you have to use the body to focus the space because there's not much point in having a wall of words."
Whether rehearsing in a barn on the south Cornish coast or performing in a clay pit, Kneehigh's approach is all about pushing boundaries. Past productions of Tristan & Yseult, The Bacchae and The Wooden Frock have used musicians, poets, sculptors and writers to create groundbreaking new versions.
"The simple thing is that it's not led by the text," Rice says. "What I try to do is not have somebody write a play, but instead explode the moments into something."
The latest play to receive the Kneehigh treatment is Shakespeare's Cymbeline, as part of the RSC's Complete Works Festival. As well as visiting traditional theatres, there will be outdoor performances at Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire and Restormel Castle in Cornwall.
This is Kneehigh's first venture into Shakespeare, but Rice is confident. "People say it's a problem play, and I love that," she says. "Cymbeline is at times very dark and at others really silly. That fits well with our style. Expect some gasps and some belly laughs."
7-12 August, then touring to 28 October ( www.kneehigh.co.uk)
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