FESTIVAL TOUR DATES
As well as festival work, 'I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably' is proud to be working alongside undergraduate performance course across the UK, delivering workshops and lectures based on being present and psychological performances alongside discussions and developments in performance strategies, developing work and creation processes.
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
FINAL PERFORMANCE SHEFFIELD LIBRARY THEATRE
September 29, 2016
After its successful 2016 tour around the UK, Limits Theatre Collective are proud to have its final performance of 'I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably' in Liam Gordon's hometown!
We are also proud to welcome Fusion Youth Theatre as our curtain opener with their touching performance of 'A Rat War' written by Ross Bannister.
‘I Hope You’re Sitting Comfortably’
A satirical piece exploring the psychology, sociology and history of the act of watching.
Becoming a spectator allows for a certain amount of escapism; whether that is our escape of attention, our mind wandering, losing ourselves in the images and stories before us. Or is that we grow up understanding the unwritten rules of performance etiquette blocking this escape. That it is wrong to allow this; that we have to stay silent and focused. Becoming afraid to make noise in case we somehow draw focus away from the action or become involved, straining to find meaning, frustrated by the familiar, overall making the whole experience terrifying.
Liam Gordon playfully creates a space to explore, examine and question our personal attitudes towards being a spectator; which incorporates autobiographical and biographical text, interplay between monologue and dialogue with live participation.
Written and performed by Liam Gordon.
Produced by Anna D'Franca
With special thanks to Third Angel’s Alexander Kelly & Teresa Brayshaw for their mentorship throughout the process and Leeds Beckett University.
"You have us in that moment, fill our heads with given ideology and questions for us then to rework and find answers too, well after the lights go down. Very intellectually stimulating; so simple yet so unlocking. A feast for the mind." – A. Cowie PHD, MA, part-time lecturer in Performing Arts
"An earnest, unflinching and at times heart achingly gruelling reflection on the culture of performance as a medium, from past to present"- Adam Young, Artistic Director of Live Art Bistro
"Liam's performance looks at the approaches of mindfulness within a performance environment. Watching his work made me reflect and think about how awkward openings can be and some of the rituals we engage in prior to commencing performances when we know we are on view and being judged or evaluated in some way... It also made me think how much of our lives we spend waiting" - Dr Helen Fawkner, Senior Lecturer in Social, Psychology and Communication Sciences
An article written about the piece and reflection on a talkback session with psuchology profssionals -
http://leedsbeckett.ac.uk/news/1215ma-performance-student-fuses-performance-and-psychology/
For more information -
https://www.facebook.com/events/623075594536265/
TICKETS -
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
New Voices Event - Southampton
August 04, 2016
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
Off Book Spoken Word - Newport
July 30, 2016
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
Be Present - Hebden Bridge
July 23, 2016
Be Present is a non-profit platform for spoken word and literature works in the local community. We are happy this year to open our event to poetry slams, spoken word performances, a selection of new script writtings and open discusions surrounding social and community developments.
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
Carlow Arts Festival
June 18, 2016
Carlow is home to the first big cultural event of Summer 2016 – the 37th Carlow Arts Festival. This year we’re more than a festival – we’re three festivals in one, celebrating all the very best of cultural Carlow. Get inspired at the Borris Festival of Writing and Ideas. This year’s outing brings world famous authors, artists and thinkers to Borris for an inspiring weekend (June 10-12) of thought provoking conversation and ideas. Then sail up-river with Barges on the Barrow (June 14-16) our floating mini-festival that will deliver a cargo of music and fun events at Carlow’s riverside towns from June 14-16. Finally, we’re delighted to announce a brand new arrival – The Big Weekender!
Carlow Arts Festival finishes with a brand new buzz – The Big Weekender (16-19 June) is a four-day splash of music, art, street spectacle and family fun in the historic heart of Carlow Town. The Big Weekender Festival HQ is centred on the beautiful lawns of Carlow College St Patrick’s, next to the cathedral. Our specially built Festival HQ Pavilion will be the place for comedy, top music acts and more. Pop next door for the best of contemporary art at VISUAL, then grab a bite at the Festival HQ food village, featuring craft beer from local legends O’Hara’s. Make Festival HQ your party hub, or simply chill out on the lawn.
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
HIDEOUT Festival - Manchester
April 27, 2016
Hideout is an evening of performance which will see two visiting Leeds based artists and Leeds Beckett alumni perform their full length solo shows. They will be accompanied by the final year students of the Arden school of theatres 'Theatre and Performance' course, who will be presenting selected extracts from their own work. This is a small scale event which aims towards the sharing of performance in a small but supportive space. We hope that you can come and join in what promises to be a truly memorable night.
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
Orbit Festival
October 22, 2015
Live Art Bistro is pleased to partner with Performing Arts at Leeds Beckett University in hosting a showcase of recent graduate performance. Orbit is a programme of live performances that reflects the quality and breadth of practice emerging from new emerging practitioners in the region.
The following artists works were selected from an open call to all recent graduates from Leeds Beckett Performing Arts:
4pm: Opening and screenings.
5pm: Dawn Robinson
6pm: Hayley Graham
6:30pm: Drinks reception
7pm: Liam Gordon
8pm: Joely Fielding
9pm: Katie Wlodarczyk
10pm: Martyna Kozanecka and James Rowling
This event is free to attend and will be held at Live Art Bistro, Regent Street, Leeds, LS2 7QA
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
Exchange
September 30, 2015
Please RSVP through the Eventbrite here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exchange-tickets-18432283456
'Exchange is a fun, informal night of performances, conversations and the rest is up to you!
We want to get together. We want conversations to have a consequence and not just be empty words. We will host performances that will make you laugh, dance and provoke thoughts and feelings on connections, particularly your connections. We are interested in your communities, about how they work, and how we can connect them with others.
This is entertaining. Let's start talking. Let's stop talking. Let's strip it back and just focus on what we have in the room.'
Supported by the BBC Performing Arts Fund, Yorkshire Dance & West Yorkshire Playhouse
This project aims to explore different routes towards artist and audience development within Leeds.
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More information about the event and the performances on the night will be posted on our FB event page and Twitter and #exchangepilot
https://twitter.com/exchange_leeds
Please note that there will be a pay what you feel admission on the door. The admissions made on the door will be split equally between the artist’s at the end of the night.
I Hope You're Sitting Comfortably
Landing Party Festival - Leeds Beckett University
September 09, 2015
The MA Performance Landing Party is the artist major project module within the MA Performance. This year the show will be taking place in and around our new performing arts space Beckett Studio.
Afternoon programme:
16:00 - 18:30
'The [Yellow] Wallpaper' by Faye Rose McDool
'Edgar and Me' by Charlotte Blackburn
'The Barbeque' by Martin Ferry
Evening Programme:
19:00 - 19:45
Drinks Reception and welcome speeches (foyer of Leeds Beckett Studio)
19.45 – 21:30
'I Hope You’re Sitting Comfortably' by Liam Gordon
'When I see you, I think of …dentist' by Dawn Patricia Robinson
*and then*
21:30
'Thirty Dancing' by Laura Hillary will run as two 15 minute performances for an audience of 14 at a time, at 21:30 and 21:50.
I'm sorry to say that means not everyone will be able to see this piece. We'll be taking bookings for these last two slots from 7pm.
You are welcome to attend either the afternoon or evening programme or both. Please select the relevant tickets when you book your place.
Brief information on each of the performances is available below:
Performance 1: 'The [Yellow] Wallpaper' by Faye Rose McDool. A solo performance inspired by the novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Performance 2: 'Edgar and Me' by Charlotte Blackburn. A solo performance exploring the act of correspondence.
Performance 3: 'The Barbeque' by Martin Ferry. A summer comedy with some audience interaction.
Performance 4: 'I Hope You’re Sitting Comfortably' by Liam Gordon. A solo performance exploring the act of watching.
Performance 5: 'When I see you, I think of …dentist' by Dawn Patricia Robinson. An attempt to be “British”!
Performance 6: 'Thirty Dancing' by Laura Hillary. A solo performance exploring the frustrations of a twenty-first century post-feminist, post-thirty, married mother.
The event is free to attend. If you have any questions about this event please contact Alex Kelly (a.kelly@leedsbeckett.ac.uk)
You can also book a place through the Leeds Beckett website at http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/faculty-events/ma-landing-party/