Theo Adams
Encyclopedia
Theo Adams previously referred to as The-O, is a performance artist and director of the contemporary theatrical performance art group Theo Adams Company.
, Hampstead. He left the formal education system aged 15 to concentrate on his performance career.
's production of An Inspector Calls directed by Stephen Daldry
at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End. After several years of solo shows which he performed internationally, Adams formed The Theo Adams Company with their first performance on 4 January 2008 at the Tate Britain
. The contemporary theatrical performance art group comprises a collection of dancers, performers, actors, artists and musicians creating work described by CNN as part ballet, part theater, part pop.
Adams has contributed to a number of magazines including W Magazine
, i-D
and Dazed & Confused
, appeared on the cover of Time Out London and was featured topless in the June 2008 issue of French Playboy
shot by Rankin
. Adams has starred in music videos for artist such as Florence and the Machine
and Róisín Murphy
and was the focus of the BBC documentary Singing with the Enemy in 2007.
In April 2009, The Theo Adams Company completed their Performance project, a series of performances in an abandoned Catholic school in northwest London. It was published as a 16 page photo feature in the May 2009 issue of W Magazine
with photography by David Sims. The company invited and were joined in their performances by special guests Lorna Luft
daughter of Judy Garland
and Tony award-winner Frances Ruffelle
. On the 27th of February 2010 the short film made as part of the project was screened at the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in New York. It was then screened at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
on the 9th of April 2010 and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
on the 23rd of June 2010
In November 2009, The Theo Adams Company announced Cry Out a new theatrical production. The world premiere took place on 30 November 2009 at the Za Koenji Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. While in Tokyo, Theo Adams Company were invited to give a lecture at the Musashino Art University
about their work. The production and build up to the world premiere was captured on film for the documentary, 9 Days Of Cry Out. It had its premiere screeing on 28 February 2010 in Tokyo. The full production had its European premiere on the 8th May at Klangraum, in Krems, one of the oldest Mendicant orders’ churches in world. The performance was part of the annual Donaufestival
in Austria. The performance was part of the final night of the festival which was curated by Peaches
It was announced on November 15, 2010 that The Theo Adams Company would present their UK premiere of 'Cry Out' at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
, London on the 18 and 19 December 2010 and tickets sold out within a day.
In June 2010, Adams was the youngest person to be shortlisted in the Emerging Performance category for the Hospital Club and Independent Newspaper's 100. A search for the most influential people in the creative and media industries.
On 14 October 2010, Louis Vuitton
presented a new promenade performance production by Theo Adams Company in Tokyo, Japan. Collaborating with some of the most respected people within the performance world including Emmy award winning set designer Joseph Bennett and Complicite
's stage designer and Tony award nominee Rumi Matsui, the company transformed a warehouse on the edge of Tokyo bay into a maze of rooms and walkways. Adams' integrated international actors, singers and dancers within several separate performances around the space. The performance culminated in a finale performance on a two story high set featuring a cast of over 50 and a special performance by legendary Disco group Sister Sledge
Personal life
Adams was born in London, United Kingdom to a Greek Cypriot father and British mother. He has an older sister and a younger brother. Adams studied at Fine Arts CollegeFine Arts College
Fine Arts College is an independent college in Belsize Park, North-West London. It was founded in 1978 by artists Candida Cave and Nicholas Cochrane. It is a small college with never more than 120 students at one time...
, Hampstead. He left the formal education system aged 15 to concentrate on his performance career.
Work
Adams is known for both his live productions and film work. He made his professional stage debut aged 9 in the Royal National TheatreRoyal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
's production of An Inspector Calls directed by Stephen Daldry
Stephen Daldry
Stephen David Daldry, CBE is an English theatre and film director and producer, as well as a three-time Academy Award nominated and Tony Award winning director.-Early years:...
at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End. After several years of solo shows which he performed internationally, Adams formed The Theo Adams Company with their first performance on 4 January 2008 at the Tate Britain
Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...
. The contemporary theatrical performance art group comprises a collection of dancers, performers, actors, artists and musicians creating work described by CNN as part ballet, part theater, part pop.
Adams has contributed to a number of magazines including W Magazine
W (magazine)
W is a monthly American fashion magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, who purchased original owner Fairchild Publications in 1999. It was created in 1971 by the publisher of sister magazine Woman's Wear Daily, James Brady. The magazine is an oversize format – ten inches wide and...
, i-D
I-D
i-D is a British magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. i-D was founded by designer and former Vogue art director Terry Jones in 1980. The first issue was published in the form of a hand-stapled fanzine with text produced on a typewriter...
and Dazed & Confused
Dazed & Confused (magazine)
Dazed & Confused is a British style magazine, that was set up in 1992 and published monthly. Its founding editors were Jefferson Hack and Rankin...
, appeared on the cover of Time Out London and was featured topless in the June 2008 issue of French Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
shot by Rankin
Rankin (photographer)
John Rankin Waddell, working name Rankin, born 1966, is a British portrait and fashion photographer.-Life and career:Waddell was brought up in St Albans, Hertfordshire. At the age of 21, whilst studying accounting at Brighton Polytechnic, he realized that his interests lay elsewhere and dropped...
. Adams has starred in music videos for artist such as Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
and Róisín Murphy
Róisín Murphy
Róisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her...
and was the focus of the BBC documentary Singing with the Enemy in 2007.
In April 2009, The Theo Adams Company completed their Performance project, a series of performances in an abandoned Catholic school in northwest London. It was published as a 16 page photo feature in the May 2009 issue of W Magazine
W (magazine)
W is a monthly American fashion magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, who purchased original owner Fairchild Publications in 1999. It was created in 1971 by the publisher of sister magazine Woman's Wear Daily, James Brady. The magazine is an oversize format – ten inches wide and...
with photography by David Sims. The company invited and were joined in their performances by special guests Lorna Luft
Lorna Luft
Lorna Luft is an American television, stage, and film actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and Sid Luft, and the half-sister of singer and actress Liza Minnelli.-Biography:...
daughter of Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
and Tony award-winner Frances Ruffelle
Frances Ruffelle
Frances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
. On the 27th of February 2010 the short film made as part of the project was screened at the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center in New York. It was then screened at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is associated with the University of California at Berkeley. The director is Lawrence Rinder who was appointed in 2008.-Collection:...
on the 9th of April 2010 and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
The Institute of Contemporary Art or ICA is a contemporary art museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The museum is associated with the University of Pennsylvania, and is located on its campus. The Institute is one of the country's leading museums dedicated to exhibiting the innovative...
on the 23rd of June 2010
In November 2009, The Theo Adams Company announced Cry Out a new theatrical production. The world premiere took place on 30 November 2009 at the Za Koenji Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. While in Tokyo, Theo Adams Company were invited to give a lecture at the Musashino Art University
Musashino Art University
is a university in Kodaira, western Tokyo founded in 1962 and has roots going back to 1929.Teikoku Art School was founded in 1929; in 1948 it became Musashino Art School , and in 1962 it became Musashino Art University...
about their work. The production and build up to the world premiere was captured on film for the documentary, 9 Days Of Cry Out. It had its premiere screeing on 28 February 2010 in Tokyo. The full production had its European premiere on the 8th May at Klangraum, in Krems, one of the oldest Mendicant orders’ churches in world. The performance was part of the annual Donaufestival
Donaufestival
The Donaufestival is an annual festival of music and performance that takes place each April in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. In the early years of the festival, two towns were used as locations - Krems and Korneuburg...
in Austria. The performance was part of the final night of the festival which was curated by Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
It was announced on November 15, 2010 that The Theo Adams Company would present their UK premiere of 'Cry Out' at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
, London on the 18 and 19 December 2010 and tickets sold out within a day.
In June 2010, Adams was the youngest person to be shortlisted in the Emerging Performance category for the Hospital Club and Independent Newspaper's 100. A search for the most influential people in the creative and media industries.
On 14 October 2010, Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
presented a new promenade performance production by Theo Adams Company in Tokyo, Japan. Collaborating with some of the most respected people within the performance world including Emmy award winning set designer Joseph Bennett and Complicite
Complicite
The British theatre company Complicite was founded in 1983 by Simon McBurney, Annabel Arden, and Marcello Magni. Its original name was Théâtre de Complicité. "The Company's inimitable style of visual and devised theatre [has] an emphasis on strong, corporeal, poetic and surrealist image supporting...
's stage designer and Tony award nominee Rumi Matsui, the company transformed a warehouse on the edge of Tokyo bay into a maze of rooms and walkways. Adams' integrated international actors, singers and dancers within several separate performances around the space. The performance culminated in a finale performance on a two story high set featuring a cast of over 50 and a special performance by legendary Disco group Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
Further reading
- http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/12/02/tell-me-that-im-crazy/
- http://theoisamazing.blogspot.com/2008/09/phileleftheros-interview.html
- http://www.wmagazine.com/w/blogs/editorsblog/2009/04/23/theo-adams-more-liza-minnelli.htm
- http://www.ponystep.com/article/THEOADAMSTIRESIASASABOY_274.aspx