ANATOMY OF SURVIVAL to Make Edinburgh Fringe Debut at Assembly @ Dance Base
Vivienne Franzmann and Frauke Requardt's three-performer work blends dance, text, and drumming to explore the human nervous system.
Frauke Requardt and Vivienne Franzmann will present Anatomy of Survival, 22 different interpretations of a meltdown in a coffee shop in a dance, theatre and music exploration of the human nervous system. Performances will run at DB3 at Assembly @ Dance Base, 25 – 29 Aug 2026.
Playwright Vivienne Franzmann and choreographer-psychotherapist Frauke Requardt use a witnessed meltdown – a woman losing her sh*t at a barista who can't seem to understand a simple order – as the starting point for an examination of the human nervous system. Across 22 shifting explanations from fictional bystanders and customers, the same incident is reimagined again and again — who was in the wrong, who was even really there, and whether anyone can trust what they think they saw. Performed by a cast of three, Anatomy of Survival draws on science and psychology, and uses dance, text, loud drumming, lighting and a person in a bear costume to take the audience through “fight, flight or freeze” and “rest and digest” states of the nervous system. Showing how our Stone Age wiring is doing its best in a world it was never designed for, it asks audiences to question how sure they can be that their own view of the world is “real” when there are so many interpretations of any one moment.
Anatomy of Survival is brought to Edinburgh Festival Fringe by The Place, who originally commissioned the show when Frauke (Dead Club, Future Cargo) and Vivienne (The Witness, Bodies) were paired together in an experimental collaboration between them, the Royal Court and Encounter Productions. It is performed by Bea Bidault (Akram Khan Company's the Jungle Book Reimagined), Kath Duggan (Punchdrunk Associate Artist) and Neil Callaghan (Dead Club).
Frauke Requardt said, “One of my interests is the question of what reality actually is, as our experience is highly subjective. We assume our own view of the world is the “real” reality. It can feel unsettling to allow the idea that someone else's take is just as true. Our perception of whether a situation feels benign or dangerous is informed by our nervous system habituation. I am yet to meet a person who wants to be really uncontrollably angry. Not that we shouldn't be held accountable for our actions, but if for any reason we didn't grow up feeling completely safe and secure in our environment and relationships, that can have a huge impact on our ability to navigate everyday situations graciously. For me it's important to understand that if you happen to be an incredibly regulated person who can handle all that life throws at you and stay calm in a crisis, then you got really lucky.”
Frauke Requardt is a German-born, London-based choreographer and psychotherapist. Her choreographic work is characterised by physically challenging choreography, a strong theatricality, dark humour and an overall sense of surrealism. She uses text and live music and a mixture of abstract and emotionally based movement to deliver highly engaging work. She is known for works including Dead Club and Future Cargo.
Vivienne Franzmann is an award-winning playwright. She has had work produced nationally and internationally. Her work includes Pests at The Royal Court and The Manchester Royal Exchange, The Witness at The Royal Court, Bodies at The Royal Court, The Snow Queen at Bristol Old Vic and The It for The National Theatre Connections Programme. She has taught playwriting to a wide range of writers including women in prison, care-leavers in London and playwrights in Cuba. She is currently developing work for television and film. Frauke and Vivienne were paired together in an experimental collaboration between The Royal Court, Encounter Productions and The Place to share their working practice.
The Place is a creative powerhouse for dance development that is leading the way in dance training, creation and performance. The Place is committed to developing ground-breaking dance from both leading choreographic talent and rising stars. Through its in-house Producing & Touring team, The Place brings bold new work to national and international audiences. Previous productions at the Fringe include Igor x Moreno's Idiot-Syncrasy, Lost Dog's Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) and Juliet and Romeo, Avant Garde Dance's Fagin's Twist, Luca Silvestrini's Protein's Border Tales,Amy Bell's The Forecast, and DONUTS by Work Place Artist Jamaal Burkmar.
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