Shoreditch Town Hall Sets New Artistic Programme

Shoreditch Town Hall is proud to announce its most ambitious artistic programme yet, with a major commission from dreamthinkspeak, an exciting London Premiere from Kneehigh and the unveiling of its new 750-capacity Assembly Hall that is central to future programming at the Town Hall.

Since its first artistic season in autumn of 2012 (a programme that included Paines Plough's Roundabout), Shoreditch Town Hall has built a reputation for presenting original, inspiring theatre and performance. As a non-traditional, multi-space venue it has provided a canvas for artists to develop new work made for and of the spaces at the Town Hall. With innovators such as Ira Brand, J Fergus Evans and The Wardrobe Ensemble among the programme and Analogue, theatre O, On The Run and Cartoon de Salvo all set to create new work in the building this Autumn, the theme of nurturing artists continues through 2015 and beyond.

Launching the season, ABSENT by dreamthinkspeak is the Town Hall's largest artistic project to date, running for 9-weeks from 24 August. Commissioned by Shoreditch Town Hall, LIFT and LeftCoast it is an intimate promenade dreamscape created by Tristan Sharps for the basement spaces of the Town Hall. Mixing film, installation and a haunting soundscape by Lapalux, ABSENT is partly inspired by The Duchess of Argyll's residence at a central London hotel from the 1970's until the 80's, when she was finally evicted for running out of friends and credit.

Shoreditch Town Hall Director, Nick Giles said of their commission "We are thrilled to be able to commission dreamthinkspeak in this major new work. Tristan Sharps and his company are a truly unique voice in UK performance, rightly recognised as a pioneer of immersive storytelling, and being able to collaborate with both the company and LIFT, with whom we've built such a rewarding relationship over recent years, is an incredible opportunity. This piece takes to the next level the way work can inhabit and be part of our building, creating rooms within rooms and journeys that will surprise even those familiar with our layout. It also represents a real gearshift in our ambitions to commission new work for and of our spaces."

Kneehigh make a welcome return to London with their critically acclaimed radical new reworking of the Beggar's Opera DEAD DOG IN A SUITCASE (AND OTHER LOVE SONGS) from 2-12 December in the main Assembly Hall. Written by Carl Grose, with a brand new score of live music written by Charles Hazelwood and directed by joint Artistic Director Mike Shepherd, it is a twisted morality tale for our times busting with wit, wonder and weirdness, delivered in the way only Kneehigh know how. Also on the larger scale In October Milton Jones kicks off new comedy and live music strands in the Assembly Hall with his Temple of Daft. More acts will be announced soon.

November sees a programme of work including a new partnership with Penned in the Margins / Mercy to present The EVP Sessions, featuring the very best in spoken word, performance, music and technology. Shoreditch Town Hall also supports the launch of a new performance series, The Listening Party and the return of comedy award garnerers Will Adamsdale, Ed Gaughan and Andrew Buckley who bring their popular Night of Stuff out of the Town Hall's basement to the Assembly Hall for A Grand Night of Stuff on 19 December. The November programme also welcomes Gary McNair'sDonald Robertson is not a Stand-up Comedian, Sophie Rose's Quiet Violence, Hannah Sullivan's With Force and Noise, J Fergus Evans' ROVE, Hunt & Darton's Boredom plus work from Ira Brand, Hannah Ringham, Selina Nwulu, Jack Rooke, Gillie Kleiman, Will Dickie and The Ruby Dolls.