Inspired by real life events and experiences, the piece tells stories that sometimes go untold with humour and pathos. The sofa becomes the stage, in which audiences will view the growth of the show’s central characters and their memories of a loved one living with dementia.
“Our brains can do a million things with memories including completely rewrite them, and the differences between shared memories can be astonishing. Sofa explores that idea a lot. Starting from the home, the sofa is where we make new worlds as children and seek solace as adults, using this central object, the piece examines how experience changes our reflections on memories. This isn’t to say we don’t deal with the realities of living with and caring for those with dementia, it’s important not to skim over that, but the focus is on the role of memory and ‘unmemory’ and what it means as we grow.” said Jacqueline Avery, Artistic Director of The MakeShift Ensemble.
The MakeShift Ensemble creates theatre on stage, off stage and all about, exploring physical ensemble performance as a tool for telling stories, which engage and affect audiences. In an age of uncertainty and change, it sneakily aims to incite small acts of revolution through, and for art; connecting with audiences young and old to deliver messages alongside a large dollop of enjoyment.
Supported by the Arts Council, Sofa has been created in partnership with the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham and Heartbreak Productions. With an original score by Laurence Aldridge, the show includes puppetry, object manipulation and probably the most versatile sofa in the world.
You can catch Sofa at the Shoebox Theatre on Saturday May 12 at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £10 and can be booked at www.shoeboxtheatre.org.uk/whatson
