Stan's Cafe to Premiere Newest Show at Birmingham Repertory Theatre
By: Tyler Peterson Apr. 26, 2016
Set in a Winnebago on a film set, Made Up is the story of Kate, a young film star, and her make-up artist, Sue. Kate is beautiful but scared, creating an act both in front of the camera and in her private life. Sue has her own unresolved issues and people she needs to make up with. Their time together in the make up trailer develops into a special relationship.
Made Up is a collaboration between internationally acclaimed theatre company, Stan's Cafe and make-up artist Andrew Whiteoak, who has worked extensively in theatrical, film and TV make-up with notable credits such as Downton Abbey and Disney's 2017 live action movie, Beauty and the Beast. Artistic Director, James Yarker and Andrew, plus performers Emily Holyoake (Kate) and Alexis Tuttle (Sue) have worked together to devise this new production told through an ambitious sequence of live make-up transformations and looks from glamour to Goth, period to pensioner, and reflects the relationship between performers and the make-up artists they work with.
Director James Yarker says of Made Up:
"A few years ago a student asked for a work experience placement in our Make-Up Department. This request seemed ludicrous, as not only did we not have such a department but also in twenty plus years of making shows we had never once employed a make up artist. However, this request did set us thinking, what show would we make if we worked with a make-up artist? The answer is Made Up.""When I was approached by Stan's Cafe to collaborate on Made Up I was immediately intrigued and excited by how 'live' make up applications could work within a story. My task is to design make-up and effects that can be applied fluidly around dialogue, which is a particular challenge in itself.
Having worked in theatre, film and television for over 22 years it's nice to be able to reflect, analyse and inform about the trusted relationship an actor and their make-up artist have and filter this into a beautiful piece of theatre."
Prior to the rehearsal process research was undertaken with groups of women to find out about their relationship with make-up and what it means to them as part of their daily ritual. These conversations have influenced the play.Stan's Cafe have been devising and touring highly original theatre around the world from its base in Birmingham since 1991. Their consistently fresh and inventive approach has taken them to the forefront of contemporary European theatre and led to them performing worldwide to both popular and critical acclaim. Highlights of their work from the last 25 years include Home of the Wriggler - made in response to the closure of the Rover car plant at Longbridge, the international hit Of All The People In All The World - a performance installation that represents human population statistics via mounds of rice, and The Cleansing of Constance Brown - a show without words, performed on a stage 2m wide and 14m deep representing different corridors of power around the world and through time.
Made Up is directed by James Yarker, with design by Harry Trow, lighting design by Simon Bond, video by Oliver Clark, music and sound by Nina West, make-up design by Andrew Whiteoak, costume by Kay Wilton and additional text by Craig Stephens.
Listings Information
The DOOR, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EP
Performance dates and times: Saturday 14 - Saturday 21 May at 8pm, apart from 7pm on Sat 14 May. Parent and Child performance at 1.30pm on Thu 19 May.
Tickets: £11.50 - £13.50 with limited concessions available. Booking fees may apply.
Box Office: 0121 236 4455 Online booking: www.birmingham-rep.co.uk
Tour Listings
ARC, Stockton 24 & 25 May
Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham 26 May
Saltburn Arts Theatre 31 May
Bishop Auckland Town Hall 1 June
Arts Centre Washington 2 & 3 June
Alnwick Playhouse 7 June
Customs House, South Shields 8 June
Hartlepool Town Hall 9 June
Seaton Delaval Arts Centre 11 June
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