A Crack

25 tracks for the zeitgeist

“In the dark times, will there also be singing?
Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times.”
B. Brecht

This is one from the heart. It’s a love letter to Europe – specifically here Greece, the (patriarchal) seat of democracy – and a lament for what we have lost. I wanted to explore how we are experiencing global crises viscerally and the affect of these on mental health, even for those not directly affected by tragedy, for no human is an island…I started with the words insularity and freedom of movement, post-Brexit in mind. Created in London and Athens, the piece is a collaboration. I cannot claim sole authorship, for the performers’ own impassioned writings have found their rightful place within the text.

I conceive a crack as an LP: each track independent but structured to create a whole experience. Anna Furse

Funded by Arts Council England

 “A rare and pleasing opportunity to see two mature female actors debating and embodying political ideas. Playful, stylish and arresting.”
Brigid Larmour CEO Watford Palace Theatre- Director

“The tone is elegiac at times and at other times, urgent and demanding. Twenty five scenes that continually shift the ground from under our feet.[…] physical, poetic, lyrical and disturbing. It is uniquely itself […] an elusively fluid text is immaculately communicated – the two actors are brilliant in their musicality and physical generosity. This is a haunting piece of art that speaks to us all now, and stays in the mind long after it’s over.”
Annie Tyson Actor, director, writer. Co-founder JBAT Theatre Studio.

“ [your] mixture of anger, sarcasm, sharp fear, humour and love. You stir them up, like in a brilliant soup […] I really appreciate the wonderful way you seek transformative presence for fear and anger.”
Roger Smith Independent scholar; Emeritus Reader in History of Science, Lancaster University UK; Honorary Fellow, Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow,

“a work of great delicacy”
Edward Fox, Writer

Tracks:
01. TAKE OUR PULSES

02. THE OUTSIDE INSIDE ME

03. SYMPOIESIS

04. EUROPE

05. PLAGUE

06. ISLANDS

07. TAXED

08. WHEN CONVERSATION FLOWS

09. IN PASSING

10. NOWHERE IS A GOOD PLACE

11. PLATO’s CAVE

12. SMASHING PLATES

13. TRUTH

14. PLAYING

15. ARE WE BANANAS?

16. SLOW MOVEMENT

17. CLICHÉS ARE CLICHÉS BECAUSE THEY ARE REPEATED TRUTHS

18. DEMOCRACY

19. SOVEREIGNTY

20. FEAR OF THE DARK

21. EVERYTHING’S ON FIRE

22. THE FUTURE

23. TEACH ME YOUR DANCE

Concept, text, scenography, direction
Anna Furse

Performers/co-creators
Nicole Dimitrakopoulou & Shona Morris

Composer
Graeme Miller

Lighting Designer
Nao Nagai

Costume Designer
Berthe Fortin

Producer
Paula Van Hagen

Production Assistant
Perdie Bargh

Production Manager
Crin Claxton

Technical Operators
Graeme Miller, Nao Nagai

Production Photographer
Sheila Burnett

Greek Producer
Sozita Goudouna

Consultant on London Greek community
Angeliki Petropetsioti

Carpentry
Andrzej Stobinski

With special thanks to:
The Municipality of Filothei-Psychiko, Athens, Elysee Greek Restaurant, St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, London, Jack Klaff, Wendy Houston, Mariangela Korma, Angeliki Molfetas, Maria Stamatopoulou, Efi Ververoi, Eleni Papadimitriou ,Elia Karamanou, Alexandra Bourgali, Jamil Luzuriaga Velsaquez, Paula Van Hagen and all of the team at Chats Palace for their support in deed and kind.