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Introduction
Founded in 2009, ShadowStage Productions is the UK’s first theatre company dedicated to contemporary shadow theatre techniques.
Mission Statement
ShadowStage Productions is set up to be a hub of contemporary shadow theatre work in the UK.
Interested practitioners are invited to get in touch to discuss ideas they wish to develop specifically for the medium.
The company is keen to produce shadow theatre and is keen to hear from people who wish to work with ShadowStage Productions to develop ideas for their own performances further as well as from venues and theatres interested in hosting shadow theatre performances.
About Contemporary Shadow Theatre
The main difference between traditional and contemporary shadow theatre is the dramatic use of live actors, rather than shadow puppets or hand shadows.
Contemporary shadow theatre developed around the 1980s, after the development of the halogen light bulb enabled clear shadows to be projected at a distance. This innovative breakthrough in the world of lighting enabled shadow theatre practitioners to explore movement in a 3-dimensional theatre space.
The effects were startling ... there was no turning back.
Background to ShadowStage Productions
"The shadow goes first when the sun lights up the path. It explores, with first experience, the newness. That which light made visible, it covers. And when the sun shines into my eyes, my shadow extends back over the path I've travelled, relishing my steps." - Leon Conrad
Leon formed ShadowStage Productions after falling in love with shadow theatre by accident. In a chance fluke, during a rehearsal for 'Under The Arabian Moon', a ray of sun lit the body of the Daaf during a rehersal which was caught on video and turned the light onto the possibilities of Contemporary Shadow Theatre. As the production evolved, it came to encompass a mix of mask work, shadow puppetry, contemporary shadow theatre techniques, complex lighting effects, use of OHP projection, reflected and refracted light, and many props. The results showed the need for more technical knowledge if the full potential of the form was to be realised.
A few months later, Leon attended a shadow theatre festival in Germany where he learned more about the complex and individual techniques and eqipment needed to get professional results in the medium through working with Norbert Goetz, one of the leading practitioners and teachers in the field.
ShadowStage Productions is set up as an experimental hub for development work in the field with ambitious plans to host the first UK-based International Shadow Theatre Festival in 2013.
Picture Info
Rehearsal Picture, Spring 2009
For 'Under the Arabian Moon'
The Roundhouse, August 2009
Storyteller: Leon Conrad
Musician: Sam Fathi
Photo Credit: Leon Conrad |
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