For over 50 years, East15 has produced actors, directors, theatre practitioners and technicians for the international stage, TV, film and radio. Based in Loughton on the edge of east London and founded by Margaret Bury, East 15 grew from the work of Joan Littlewood’s famed Theatre Workshop, which broke new ground, re-interpreting the classics for a modern age, commissioning new plays from socially committed writers, and creating an ensemble capable of inventing new work. It evolved into an outstanding ensemble that combined inspired, improvisational brilliance with method, technique, research, text analysis and the intense expression of truthful emotion. Much of the original approach was based on the theories of Stanislavski and over the years new training methods at East 15 have now embraced approaches from diverse practitioners such Michael Chekhov, Rudolf Laban, Jerzy Grotowski, Jacques Lecoq, Peter Brook and other important contemporary trainers.
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Frothing Mouths. Hungry Eyes
“I didn’t call him a psychopath. I called him a psychopathic stock broker.”
A son of socialists brings his new partner to a family dinner. A child takes pictures with crying strangers. A woman brings out the Kleenex to satisfy her fans.
“Frothing Mouths. Hungry Eyes.” is a play that serves a kaleidoscopic view of a fractured world in which people hope and long for love and care, but where the norms of our society and immediate surroundings have permeated our minds to such an extent that a pure connection seems almost impossible. In a staging that moves from the absurd to the realistic whilst the language takes the reverse turn, the play also asks the question: Which truth do we recognise?
“I turn around, giving them one last glorious look, and I see the frothing mouths and the hungry eyes, I see the binoculars, I see the camera lenses and the drones outside my window.”
Review by Marcin Rudy, Head of Movement at East15 and former member of Song of the Goat Theatre:
“Frothing mouths. Hungry eyes” is like Marmite – you either love it or hate it. A big majority of people I spoke to loved it, including myself. It is not a linear story that the audience follows. Instead, it is a collage of scenes, impressions on our reality. A very skilful group of actors make us watch, and hopefully, reflect on topics like our relation to elderly people, immigration, climate change, plastic surgery and many, many more urgent matters. We do not watch a lecture with plenty of facts, graphs and data. Instead, the company uses a very specific and original sense of humour to lead us through the performance. It is light and funny but at the same time makes us think about those issues. Very clever and original type of theatre. Highly recommended.”
“Frothing Mouths. Hungry Eyes.”, written by Hannah Herno-Toftild and directed by Henriette Ulvbjerg Petersen, was created for the International Festival of New Work, an annual event at East15 Acting School which gives students in their final year of the BA Acting International Course the opportunity to write, direct, and perform their own original work, and for students on the BA Stage Management Course to gain experience in organising and running such a festival. Our ensemble consists of people from Denmark, Finland, Greece, Britain, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, and the US, and this creates a thrilling creative environment in which everyone contributes with a unique energy influenced by the theatrical traditions of their home countries combined with their British training. All ensemble members have played a major part in assembling this piece, and so our play could never have been the same without this fusion of different cultures.
The director, writer, stage manager, and actors are all currently studying at East15.
Author: Hannah Hermo-Toftild
Director: Henriette Ulvbjerg Peterson
Script editor: Hannah Hermo-Toftild, Henriette Ulvbjerg Peterson
Set: Henriette Ulvbjerg Peterson
Costumes: Toumanova Anna
LIght design: Sandra Ostreng Tyrhaug
Music: Bernice Rayner
Production: Stephanie L. Watson
Photo: Andrew H. Williams
Cast:
Marcus Georges
Veikka Kalavainen
Erkida Rista
Jonas Gudmand
Lauren Moore
Hannah Herno-Toftild
Lucrezia Galeone
Pedro E. Ferreira
Natasha Biggs
Francis Thurstun-Crees
Giorgos Ouka
