EN ROUTE

PRESS RELEASE

May, 2012

en route

Internationally acclaimed live art experience comes to East London

'..a kind of euphoria and a breathtaking new perspective of the city'The Independent 

Theatre Royal Stratford East is proud to present a new commission of en route for Stratford,as part of  CREATE 2012 and the London 2012 Festival, the spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration running from 21 June until 9 September 2012 bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK. This pedestrian-based live art experience comes to the streets from Tuesday 26 June - Saturday 21 July. With MP3 players and mobile phones, audiences will be taken on a journey through the thoroughfares and back alleys of East London.  

The winner of the 2010 award for Best Theatre Production at the Adelaide Fringe, en route combines local music, snatches of narrative, sound, dialogue and philosophy with the wanderings, observations and experiences of each audience member.  The production is an exciting opportunity to see the city with fresh eyes and promises to change the way audiences see London, see themselves and view others.

Artistic Director, Kerry Michael says: “en route has been a huge hit in countries around the world and Theatre Royal Stratford East is delighted to be bringing the production to East London during the momentous summer of the area’s hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  It is our vision to programme high quality theatre that people can engage with in different ways.  We hope this exciting participative experience will offer people the chance to see Stratford as they never have before.”

en route  is a love song to the city where the private and the public, imaginary and concrete, intersect and overlap. Directions, instructions and audio communication help create a unique insight into urban streetscapes as audiences walk, interact with passers-by, buildings and detritus.  Participants should expect the unexpected and will envitably create their own story as they become part traveller, part witness and part voyeur.  This unique experience begins with an aspect of mystery for audiences with the Stratford start point only revealed by text message 24 hours prior to their booking time.

en route is presented by Theatre Royal Stratford East, created and produced by One Step at a Time Like This and Richard Jordan Productions.  One Step at a Time Like This comprises 4 Melbourne-based artists Suzanne Kersten, Clair Korobacz, Paul Moir and Julian Rickert who have a history of creating place-responsive and conversation based work including Southern Crossings, a multi platform audio journey at Southern Cross train station, Winner of a Green Room Award for a Site Specific Production, 2010, Pop Up Project (Melbourne International Arts Festival Commission, 2010); Contemplating Gold, a walk-in outdoor cinema installation; and Pillow Talk, a bed for casual discourse - commissioned by Arts House, Look Out Between Season, 2008-9.

en route is funded by the Olympic Lottery Distributor, Create, the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria, and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

For interviews, press tickets and images please contact Theatre Royal Stratford East PR Consultant Kim Morgan PR on 020 7277 9559, 07939 591 403 email kim@kimmorgan-pr.com or press@stratfordeast.com  

Should you be experiencing or reviewing this work for a second time, this will mean that you will not be walking into the unknown which is a crucial element of the work.

Notes to Editors

Listings Information

en route will be performed around Stratford from Tuesday 26 June - Saturday 21 July 2012 Tickets are £15(solo), £24 (duo), £30 (trio). Times 10am, 1pm & 4pm. For further information log on to www.stratfordeast.com or visit Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, London, E15 1BN Box office 020 8534 0310.

About the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.

The culmination of the Cultural Olympiad will be the London 2012 Festival, a spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK, from Midsummers Day on 21 June and running until the final day of the Paralympic Games on 9 September 2012.The London 2012 Festival will celebrate the huge range, quality and accessibility of the UK’s world-class culture including dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion, film and digital innovation, giving the opportunity for people across the UK to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Principal funders of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival are Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. BP and BT are Premier Partners of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival. 

For more details on the programme, to download the London 2012 Festival official guide and to sign up for information visit www.london2012.com/festival

About CREATE 2012

CREATE brings inspiring, engaging art and performance to hundreds of thousands of people. By building virtuous circles between artists, creative organisations and locals, we strive to nurture and grow the creative ambitions of our community.

We bring art out of traditional spaces and into east London’s parks, playgrounds, rooftops and tucked-away places. CREATE invites people to explore the city every summer and to jump feet-first into the extraordinary projects and performances they encounter. We commission and produce work by emerging local artists and established international figures, and bring our young residents behind the scenes with a programme of workshops, skills development and job placements.

Our conviction is in the power of art to offer new perspectives on community life, provoking healthy debate and encouraging constructive change and social progress. In a part of London with the highest concentration of artists and creative businesses in Europe, but some of the lowest levels of cultural engagement, we work to bridge traditional divides of class, education and social background with art that is ambitious, exciting and joyful.

For more details on the programme and to sign up for information visit www.createlondon.org.