China Plate Brings Collection of Shows to Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Having recently joined ACE's National Portfolio, Independent theatre studio China Plate are set to bring a collection of four shows and readings to the 70th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Showcasing a diverse range of artists, the selected works demonstrate China Plate's commitment to challenging the way performance is made and who it's made by. The performances tell stories that need to be told, including an autobiographical account of childhood abuse and an exploration of living with chronic pain, to understanding national identity and celebrate performers in the early stage of their career through to established artists.

Following his extra-ordinarily thought-provoking exploration of confirmation bias, Chris Thorpe pens The Shape of the Pain (Summerhall) a brand new solo show conceived and directed by Rachel Bagshaw about living with chronic pain performed by Hannah McPake. Based on Bagshaw's own experience of living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and its physical and mental effects, the play explores living with chronic pain and how it alters our senses. The production is a true artistic and scientific collaboration, bringing together a unique theatrical language of words, sound and visual effects that have been influenced by cutting edge medical research (and vice versa).

Alongside The Shape of the Pain there will be a rehearsed reading of Status (Summerhall, Traverse Theatre) from the multi Fringe First winning team that created Confirmation. Written and performed by Chris Thorpe (Unlimited Theatre, Third Angel) and developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin (The TEAM), Status asks what people mean when they talk about 'national values' (as part of Northern Stage programme).

Dundee based choreographer Joan Clevillé combines dance, theatre and storytelling in Plan B for Utopia (Pleasance) to create an intimate space for reflection where audience and performers can come together to re-imagine the world. Plan B for Utopia is a truly cross disciplinary work, which was developed with dramaturgy from playwright Ella Hickson (Oil, Eight), and premiered at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015. Since then, the show has been performed over 50 times in venues and festivals across the UK, Germany, Italy and Poland, and it was selected for the 2016 British Dance Edition showcase and the 2016 Internationale Tanzmesse in Düsseldorf. This year, it has been selected for both the Made in Scotland Showcase and the British Council's 20th Anniversary Edinburgh Showcase.

Fresh from graduating from East 15, Urielle Klein-Mekongo brings her award-winning debut production Yvette (Pleasance) to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Based on a true story, Yvette fuses spoken word, music and an exceptional solo performance to present a story of survival, coming of age and Hello Kitty knickers. Written and performed by emerging artists Urielle Klein-Mekongo, Yvette has won the Young Harts Writing Fest Audience Favourite, the Kings Head Theatre Stella Wilkie Award and the East15 Pulse Award 2017.

Ed Collier and Paul Warwick, Co-Directors of China Plate said " For this year's festival we're working with an extraordinary team of artists to bring you four performances with something urgent to say. Together they form a devastating, affirmative, political, personal and funny programme."

China Plate is an independent theatre studio launched in 2006 that works with artists, venues, festivals and funders to make original, exciting theatre that plays with form and has narrative at its heart. The company are also Associate Producers at Warwick Arts Centre where they develop and commission new work, Artistic Associates at the New Wolsey Theatre where they are Directors of PULSE Festival, Programmers of New Directions (the NRTF showcase), and producers of innovative development programmes including The Darkroom, The Optimists (producer training) and The First Bite and Bite Size Festivals and partners with The Place, The NRTF and Take Art on the Rural Touring Dance Initiative. They are currently producing work with Contender Charlie, David Edgar, Ella Grace & Katie Lyons, Ben Wright, Joan Cleville Dance, Rachel Bagshaw, Caroline Horton, Dan Jones, Chris Thorpe, Inspector Sands and Sarah Punshon.

www.chinaplatetheatre.com