Cade & MacAskill Return To Battersea Arts Centre With THE MAKING OF PINOCCHIO

A true tale of love and transition told through the story of Pinocchio.  Set in a fictional film studio, you are invited to go behind the scenes of Cade & MacAskill's creative process and their relationship, and question what it takes to tell your truth.

Artists and lovers Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill have been creating The Making of Pinocchio since 2018, alongside and in response to Ivor's gender transition. In this 'funny, clever and thoughtful two-hander, rich in playful imagery' (The Guardian) their tender and complex autobiographical experience meets the magical story of the lying puppet who wants to be a 'real boy'.

With an ingenious scenography designed by Tim Spooner, layered with sound by Yas Clarke, lights by Jo Palmer and cinematography from Kirstin McMahon and Jo Hellier, the show constantly shifts between fantasy and authenticity, humour and intimacy, on stage and on screen. 

This "ravishingly beautiful' (The Arts Desk) show is for anyone seeking to explore the sheer joy and limitless potential of queer imagination. Audiences called it 'unmissable', 'breath-taking', 'phenomenal', 'showstopping' and 'the queer love story of the year'.

Commissioned by Fierce Festival, Kampnagel, Tramway & Viernulvier with support from Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Battersea Arts Centre, LIFT and Take Me Somewhere.

Produced by Artsadmin.

Funded by Creative Scotland, Arts Council England and Rudolf Augstein Stiftung with development support from The Work Room/Dianne Torr Bursary, Scottish Sculpture Workshop, National Theatre of Scotland, Live Art Development Agency, Gessnerallee, Mousonturm, Forest Fringe, West Kowloon Cultural District & LGBT Health & Wellbeing Scotland. .

Pelin Basaran, Head of Programming at Battersea Arts Centre, says, "This autumn, we're thrilled to welcome The Making of Pinocchio, by Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill, back to BAC's Grand Hall for two weeks. We're incredibly proud to have supported the further development of this extraordinary work. Following huge success internationally, we feel that it deserves to be seen by a wider audience in the UK. It's a funny, clever and bold work which tells gender transition story by deconstructing and retelling the classic tale of Pinocchio. It is about being human, about love and acceptance. The show is a great example of what BAC stands for: It's a stunningly powerful performance that presents marginalized stories on the main stage, and it shows what can be achieved when we work together to realise the larger ambitions of our most promising artists."

The Making of Pinocchio comes to Battersea Arts Centre from 1 - 10 November 2023 as part from BAC's autumn season. A number of performances are available on a Pay What You Can basis.

The Making of Pinocchio is a finalist for the Idea Production and Access awards at The Offies 2023.