Chotto Ookii Theatre Company
Encyclopedia
Chotto Ookii Theatre Company are a physical theatre
company based in Leeds
, England
. It comprises performer/directors Matt Rogers, Kathleen Yore, Rebecca Devitt, Jake England-Johns and Rebekah Caputo. After forming as a collective in 2005 they produced their debut show And Even My Goldfish for which they won the Total Theatre Award for best newcomer at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
. The name means 'a little big' in Japanese.
Their work includes clown
ing, dance, extreme characterisation
and simple magic
, and their performances are built upon principles of unpredictability and contrast. Events on stage which would not naturally fit together in the most logical sense, by cumulative effect, communicate a distinct mood and message.
The absence of dialogue
is very apparent. Whilst this is not unusual in related forms such as mime
or contemporary dance
(from which the company has drawn influence), their performances differ by including a large variety of non-verbal vocal sounds.
It was recently published in Total Theatre magazine that Chotto Ookii were working on a second full-scale theatre production. Little is currently known about this second production other than the title THUS FAR and no further and that it will premiere at an unspecified venue in autumn 2007.
"And Even My Goldfish" was adapted for screen in 2007 by film company Bad Bonobo (formerly Trespass Productions).
Physical theatre
Physical theatre is used to describe any mode of performance that pursues storytelling or drama through primarily and secondarily physical and mental means. There are several quite distinct but indistinct traditions of performance which all describe themselves using the term "physical theatre",...
company based in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It comprises performer/directors Matt Rogers, Kathleen Yore, Rebecca Devitt, Jake England-Johns and Rebekah Caputo. After forming as a collective in 2005 they produced their debut show And Even My Goldfish for which they won the Total Theatre Award for best newcomer at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
-Events:2006 was the first Fringe following the introduction of the new legislation banning smoking indoors. During a photocall at the Assembly Rooms for a play in which he was playing Winston Churchill, the actor Mel Smith lit a cigar, flouting the ban...
. The name means 'a little big' in Japanese.
Their work includes clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
ing, dance, extreme characterisation
Characterisation
Characterization or characterisation is the art of creating characters for a narrative, including the process of conveying information about them. It may be employed in dramatic works of art or everyday conversation...
and simple magic
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
, and their performances are built upon principles of unpredictability and contrast. Events on stage which would not naturally fit together in the most logical sense, by cumulative effect, communicate a distinct mood and message.
The absence of dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
is very apparent. Whilst this is not unusual in related forms such as mime
Mime
The word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
or contemporary dance
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
(from which the company has drawn influence), their performances differ by including a large variety of non-verbal vocal sounds.
It was recently published in Total Theatre magazine that Chotto Ookii were working on a second full-scale theatre production. Little is currently known about this second production other than the title THUS FAR and no further and that it will premiere at an unspecified venue in autumn 2007.
"And Even My Goldfish" was adapted for screen in 2007 by film company Bad Bonobo (formerly Trespass Productions).