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Oscar Wilde’s The Fisherman and his Soul “...a hauntingly beautiful adaptation…” - The Stage “…a particularly gripping performance from Patrick Bridgman…” - City Life
original photo by Christos Malachias
A found THEATRE production Adapted & Directed by Simon Corble The Fisherman and his Soul is a powerful and enigmatic tale from a master story teller, brought to life through muscular performances and Oscar Wilde’s intensely rich language. The Story A young fisherman falls for a mermaid, but in order to join her in the depths of the sea he has to lose his immortal soul. He sets off to learn the secret ritual he must perform to free his soul from his body, but is surprised to discover that his soul has something to say in the matter. It is a fable, set in the mythical past of a Greek island and concerns the struggle between the fisherman, his soul, a jealous young witch and a troubled priest. The Production’s History The start of its year-long development was in September 2004 on the remote and wild Greek Island of Ikaria, where Simon and his actors spent time rehearsing, working on the script and researching. The aim was to produce a studio production with room to grow. Found’s first experimental tour, Autumn 2005 to studio theatres across the North was very well received by audiences and venues alike, achieving some impressive percentages :- Theatre Percentage of seats sold Lawrence Batley Cellar Theatre 100% The Lantern Theatre, Sheffield 100% Buxton Opera House - Paupers’Pit 93% (average over 3 nights) Ellesmere Port Boat Museum 90% (eve. performance) 74% (matinee) RNCM Studio Theatre 81% (average over 2 nights) The Yard (previews) 79% (average over 2 nights) Otley Courthouse 70% (a wet Wednesday) The production is now being reworked – some modifications to script and design, and a more sophisticated lighting design included – to make it playable in larger auditoria. We have found the performances powerful enough to fill large spaces, while maintaining the intimacy of its beautifully simple staging. We are looking at theatres in the 150 – 400 capacity range. What sells the show to an audience?
Oscar Wilde
– people seem intrigued to see something “new” by a writer they know. Who does it appeal to? A broad range of adults and intelligent children (11+). Matinees also sold well. Who are Found ? Found’s style is simple, direct and engages the audience’s imagination by creating whole worlds out of very basic materials. At the heart of the work is a good story.
Director
Simon Corble
is best known for his adaptation of “The 39 Steps” -
picture -
(with contributions from Nobby Dimon and Patrick Barlow).
He is also celebrated for his award-winning site-specific creations with Midsommer Actors’ Co. – the latter experiences, along with those of Japanese Noh Theatre, inspiring the approach to this new work. The cast are respected performers who have worked with Simon and many other North West and national touring companies over the years.
Found Theatre, in Greek island rehearsals: -  And performance:-  Feedback from the Autumn 2005 Experimental Tour:- Over 1,000 people came to see the show and the feedback was excellent. We received numerous emails, letters and comments on questionnaires; just a few are extracted below: - “ ... last night's trio are as gifted as I remember from Midsommer days and from elsewhere. …Catriona is still magical........ If I were still doing theatre reviews for the local BBC radio station it would have taxed my supply of superlatives. Loved the play, loved the publicity, loved the 'cheapskate programme' which, unlike most rip-off programmes, actually told us what we wanted to know, AND gave us an evocative picture to stick on the wall to remind us…Found Theatre has started memorably and I and the group of friends who were there last night thank you for the experience and wish you all well.” Josie Smith, Sheffield.
“Fantastic. It was my mum & dad’s 50th Wedding Anniversary treat too and they loved it.” Mr L, Dewsbury. “Wonderful – loved it. Skilful and captivating. Thank you”. Ms W, Derbyshire
“I enjoyed
the lyrical storytelling aspect of this piece and noticed the simplicity of the
elements..”. Ms B, Manchester “Fantastic– set the imagination going” Mrs B, Poulton le Fylde “Excellent. We look forward to more!!”. Mr H, Flintshire. “Really enjoyed it….Would recommend it to friends.” Ms H, Wirral. “Excellent! Audience totally captivated!” Ms D, Neston, Wirral.
And some feedback from the Theatres themselves........
“Our audiences loved the show and especially commented on the high quality of acting involved. Please pass on our warmest thanks to all the actors and Simon.”Marketing Manager, Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port. “…the show was very well received and we had some very positive feedback.” Assistant Manager, Rotherham Arts Centre. “…we too were delighted that it was so successful”Buxton Opera House, Theatre Secretary.
“The Fisherman and his Soul” Press Reviews: -
The
Stage - “Two weeks of rehearsals on a remote Greek island beats a draughty church hall. It has obviously inspired the actors of Found Theatre and their director Simon Corble. This fledgling company has returned from the Mediterranean with its first ever production, a hauntingly beautiful adaptation of The Fisherman and His Soul. It is cloaked in Greek myth and epic Asian legend. The maudlin sentiments of Oscar Wilde’s story, often a problem when adapting his work, have been toned down.
The actors speak with gentle, atmospheric voices. Patrick Bridgman, who plays the Soul, has quantities of narrative dialogue and he delivers them with a poet’s relish and command. Catriona Martin, playing both the object of the Fisherman’s affections and a feisty witch, gives her words a lyrical beauty. ...A simple but vividly effective soundscape adds power and depth to the story. Fierce storms are created with black umbrellas and a sheet. Shaken pebbles make the sound of the Fisherman hauling in his heavy nets....” Kevin Berry, 8th Oct. 2005 City Life“PALLETS, paper bags, goat bells. A square of roughly hung sackcloth. Things, as the Wombles might say, that the everyday folk leave behind. And that’s part of the ethos of Found Theatre…
Found seek to create natural landscapes and atmospheres with the simplest of materials. Sound effects are generated onstage by the actors; wind, for example, is created with quickly opened and closed umbrellas, shaken paper bags, and flapped jackets. The actors themselves are presented in clean, white linen for focused, muscular movement performance. In fact, all that could really be called ‘technology’ is the simple, steady lighting throughout. The story is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Greek-set fairytale ‘The Fisherman and his Soul’. After falling in love with a mermaid, a man discovers that the only way to join her is to send away his immortal soul. Not an easy task, especially when the soul has a mind of its own, and a jealous one at that. Director Simon Corble spent a fortnight rehearsing with the three actors on the remote Greek island of Ikaria, aiming to bring the island to life in an intimate theatre setting.
The result is an affecting production with a particularly gripping performance from Patrick Bridgman as The Soul, who by expression alone manages to evoke wilderness, city and courtroom in turn with his plaintive annual tales.”Emma Unsworth. 7th October 2005
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