The Man Who
The debut show from Heads Bodies Legs. The show was developed at The Space in the Isle of Dogs in 2011 and performed at Camden People’s Theatre in 2013.
Heads Bodies Legs, later became The Man Who, was the debut play from the company. An absurd comic thriller combining theatre, music and animation. This surreal tale centred around a bureaucratic, privatised healthcare system and the deadly entrapment of compulsory heterosexuality.
Jon, a patient unable to afford the fees for his treatment at a private hospital, forfeits his soul in lieu of payment, and so embarks on a quest to recover it from the chief doctor and becomes embroiled in a surreal bureaucratic nightmare.
The script was developed by Ray Malone and writer Ezra Elia, and the performance was devised with a cast of 6 actors and a small team of designers including costume designer Hannah Wood and animators Linda Toigo, Sally Stevens and Rebecca Hendin.
“Set in a private hospital where the line between patient and staff is blurred beyond recognition, the play has a thriller-like narrative and multimedia production values – in addition to a taut script and an excellent cast.
…the heady mix of eerily nightmarish mood, black humour and unpredictability conjured by Terry Gilliam’s Brazil and Leos Carax’s arthouse adventure Holy Motors… a deliriously entertaining play, firmly asserting the collective talent of its cast and crew.”
“..this is an excellent example of what shows during the Camden fringe should deliver.”
— Skye Crawford, Fringe Review
“..directed with such intelligence that most of it offers a reason to leave with a big smile on your face.”
Check the link to see some of Sal Stevens animations for the show
Check out Linda Toigo’s blog about her illustration and animation, and the early visual development of the show
Credits
Director:
Ray Malone
Writer:
Ezra Elia
John:
Giles Coram
Nurse:
Ellie Jones
Doctors:
William Seaward, Carolin Ott, Lee Ravitz
Patients:
Claire Buckingham, Damien Hughes, Alex Froom
Video Animation:
Rebecca Hendin
Animation:
Linda Toigo & Sally Stevens
Costume:
Hannah Wood
Choreography:
James O’Riordan
Video:
Tom O’Dwyer