Pinocchio

Premiere 2016 - touring now

★★★★

'A show of dazzling imagination.'

Evening Standard

This engaging and insightful interpretation, based on the original book by Collodi and performed by Vardimon’s multi-talented dancers, brings to life the famous marionette as he embarks on a wonderful journey of discovery to become a human boy.

Showcasing Vardimon’s uniquely theatrical choreographic and directorial style, Pinocchio combines physical theatre, innovative technologies, text and dance to examine the idea of what it means to be human.

'Joyous new levels of dance invention. Beguiling'

The Guardian

★★★★

'Simple yet elaborate, stark but magical, Pinocchio is a pretty impressive achievement… Magnetically clever ingenuity'

The Times

CREDITS

Concept, Direction & Choreography

Jasmin Vardimon MBE

Created with & Performed by

Maria Doulgeri, Emma Farnell-Watson, Estéban Lecoq, David Lloyd, Aoi Nakamura, Uroš Petronijevic, Stefania Sotiropoulou, Alexander Stavropoulos

Dramaturgy

Guy Bar-Amotz

Set Design

Guy Bar-Amotz & Jasmin Vardimon MBE

Lighting Design

Chahine Yavroyan

Costume Design

Abigail Hammond

Animator

Jesse Collett

Sound Design

Jasmin Vardimon MBE

Sound Research

Peter Hall & Ohad Fishof

Sound Advisor

Peter Hall

Music Credits

René Aubrey, Vidia Wesenlund, The De Leeuwin Dutch Street Organ, Kroumata Percussion Ensemble, Beyoncé, John Fahey, Ben Frost, Luigi Morleo, The Chemical Brothers, Barn Owl, Eple Trio, Tipper, Sylvain Chauveau, Joel Merah & Stéphane Garin, Accordion music from the Faroe Island, Raymond Scott, Dmitri Shostakovich

Rehearsal Director

Vinicius Salles

Acting Coach

Geoffrey Colman

Narration

Steven Glaser

Pinocchio Drawing

Mayam Bar-Amotz Vardimon

Production Manager

Ed Yetton & Andrew Steel

Lighting

Ed Yetton

Sound & AV Technician

Andy Morris

Stage Technician

Simon Young / Tim Doughty

Campaign Photography

Ben Harries

Production Photography

Tristram Kenton

Promo Video

Guy Bar-Amotz

Graphic Design

Raanan Gabriel

Length

90 minutes

Premiere

27 August 2016 at Gulbenkian bOing! Festival, Canterbury

Co-commission by

Gulbenkian bOing! Festival, Sadler’s Wells & Kent County Council

Supported by

Arts Council England, Ashford Borough Council

Thanks to

Sheela Raj, Ed Parsons, Moosejaw Woodworks Ltd, Glenda Haseler and Costume Interpretation students at Wimbledon College of Art, Piers O’Hanlon, Orhan Demirovski, Recursive Media, David Yates, and Mayam Bar-Amotz Vardimon

ARTICLES & REVIEWS

Evening Standard / 30 October 2017 ★★★★

'A show of dazzling imagination.'

The Guardian / 25 October 2016

'Joyous new levels of dance invention. Beguiling'

The Times / 19 October 2016 ★★★★

'Simple yet elaborate, stark but magical, Pinocchio is a pretty impressive achievement… Magnetically clever ingenuity'

The Guardian / 25 October 2016

'‘Joyous new levels of dance invention’

‘Characters are created out of brilliantly minimal means’

‘Superbly performed and well complemented by the artful stage illusions’

‘Beguiling’'

Evening Standard / 30 October 2017 ★★★★

'‘This is a show of dazzling imagination. Vardimon offers us shadow-play, flying trapezes, light shows, see-sawing aerial acrobatics and break-dancing donkeys.’'

BBC Radio 4 Front Row / 27 September 2016

'Listen to Jasmin speak about Pinocchio on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row '

Loveshrewsbury.com / 29 October 2016 ★★★★

'‘A dazzling interpretation’

‘Superbly danced’

‘stunningly well designed show’'

Razz Magazine / 25 October 2016

'‘Fantastical set and captivating dance’

‘very clever’

‘An imaginative and impressive performance’

‘I emerged from the theatre with the sense of having participated in a surreal and uncanny dream’'

Fjordreview / 24 October 2016

'‘the kind of magic you only encounter in theatre’

‘Through movement and theatre, Vardimon has created the characters of this story with extraordinary clarity’

‘clever and playful’

‘An evocative production, filled with striking visual images and a cast of distinctive, engaging characters’'

Theatrefullstop / 26 October 2016

'‘Magical and moving’

‘Doulgeri’s performance is a tour-de-force’'

Londondance.com / 26 October 2016

'‘This ever-innovative director and choreographer has waved her unique conceptual wand over the story of a wooden puppet that dreams of becoming a real boy’

‘A plethora of magical, inventive coups de théâtre’

‘Vardimon’s choreography is voraciously imaginative’

‘It is rare for a show to have so many standout moments of originality’

‘The set is a triumph of originality aligned with authenticity’

‘Arresting visual imagery’'

Financial Times / 25 October 2016

'‘Jasmin Vardimon’s dance adaption abounds with imaginative moments’

‘Attractive performances, jolly effects and a musical meatloaf’

‘The staging abounds with such quirky and imaginative moments, many of the best effects are achieved though movement alone’'

Londontheatre1.com / 25 October 2016 ★★★★

'‘This Pinocchio is absolute magic’

‘The skill of the dancers is simply stunning’

‘This was the best version of Pinocchio I have seen’

‘Truly mesmerising – ask the hundreds of children who sat with eyes glued to the stage and a big smile on their faces’

‘If the production is a good one, then as soon as the curtain goes up, the noise level goes down and the attention to the stage becomes 100%, proving once more the magical properties of the theatre. I was privileged to see this effect at work when I went to see Jasmin Vardimon’s new production of Pinocchio.’'

The Reviews Hub / 19 October 2016 ★★★★

'‘A visual delight’

‘Power is the resonate feeling of this production. Powerful performances, powerful choreography and powerful storytelling make this an adaptation of Pinocchio you won’t want to miss’

‘An incredibly strong cast manage to balance the power and force of Vardimon’s choreography, whilst still making the movement seem effortless and fluid’'

DanceTabs / 19 November 2016

'Graham Watts caught up with Jasmin to ask five questions about Pinocchio and two new books that explore her work.'

Art Scene in Wales / 28 November 2016

''Pinocchio is a superb, theatrically enchanting production by the Jasmin Vardimon Company which taps into that ingenious stream of innocent human creativity. It unfolds a dream like world, through dance, mime and magical lighting.'

A Younger Theatre / 6 November 2017

'‘Vardimon’s Pinocchio is a rollercoaster of experiences enwrapped in charm and poignancy. It allows us to take a step back and remind ourselves of the shared experiences that bind us all no matter how different we are externally.’'

British Theatre Guide / 29 October 2017

'’80 minutes of non-stop enjoyment’'

The Jewish Renaissance Blog / 31 October 2017

'‘Vardimon has an extraordinary imagination and with her collaborators, set designer and dramaturg Guy Bar-Amotz and lighting designer Chahine Yavroyan, she finds a fresh way of conjuring each scene in Collodi’s story of the wooden puppet boy who yearns to be a real boy.’
'

London Theatre 1 / 1 November 2017 ★★★★★

'‘Pure magic from opening to end…A must-see performance for dance fanatics and a family feel good magical evening.’

'

The Wonderful World of Dance / 27 October 2017

'‘Vardimon’s superbly magical “Pinocchio” is an all-around impressive production. Powerhouse dancers deliver a compelling performance of creative choreography with physical finesse and persuasive acting, while the whimsical music score and dramatic lighting create a dreamlike atmosphere.’'

Dancing Times / 2 November 2017

'‘This is a very cleverly constructed work that contains several stand-out, magical moments and is greatly enabled by an aptly descriptive score’

'

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