Manchester-based theatre company ThickSkin, has teamed up with theatre venues and organisations in central Manchester, Ancoats and Huddersfield to present three new location based audio plays.
Unique to each location, the Walk This Play stories are designed for listeners as they walk. The immersive plays blend narration and original music with the sights and sounds around you transporting you inside the story. Inviting you to experience a familiar route from a new perspective, ThickSkin and the partner companies have reached out to local communities and writers to create the Walk This Play stories. Each audio experience has been created by a different creative team from the local area, placing new voices front and centre.
As a company, ThickSkin are dedicated to developing and showcasing new-talent, while reaching audiences who don’t normally attend theatre. ThickSkin are the innovators behind the pioneering Virtual Reality production Petrichor which was created to connect with young audiences during the pandemic.
Laura Mallows, ThickSkin Executive Director, said:
“Digital arts has always been a feature of ThickSkin’s work and we took this a step further last year in creating our first Theatre in VR production, Petrichor. It became clear that digital arts could offer a wide range of new experiences for audiences and the more we expand our work in digital the more quickly artists can get back to work and have more work opportunities in the long term. So Walk This Play came from an aim to reconnect loyal theatre audiences with the arts in their local community, while encouraging new audiences to take part. And, as with all ThickSkin projects, there’s a spotlight on early career artists or more experienced artists working in new ways. We’re looking forward to eventually getting back on stage, but digital will be a permanent feature in how we take audiences on a journey alongside or embedded in the live work. For now, Walk This Play, offers a standalone digital experience in each location or a full day out for audiences who chose to take part in all three walks”
ThickSkin is an award-winning touring theatre company based in Manchester, working across live and digital platforms. Established in 2010 by co-Directors, Neil Bettles and Laura Mallows, they strive to create space for under-represented voices in theatre to be heard and celebrated.
They create bold and ambitious theatre; reaching and inspiring young, new and representative audiences across the world through our distinctive physicality and cinematic style. They nurture talent across all areas of theatre-making, providing a springboard for artists who are ready to take a leap.
During the pandemic ThickSkin reached over 15,000 people through digital engagement and more than 900 young people globally through digital learning resources, designed to support drama and dance students while schools were closed.
Available from 19 April, 30 May and 17 July 2021
Manchester, Ancoats and Huddersfield (covid safe, experienced individually)
Visit thickskintheatre.co.uk/
