2007
devised and performed by the company
fh space before it was the fh space (a disused warehouse)
Sarah Davey-Hull
Caroline Garland
Sarah Goddard
Peter Kenny
Oliver Langdon
Kai Simmons
Originally a Victorian warehouse and for the last 30 years a plumbers merchant, Live/Work was an exploration of the warehouse before building began to convert it into a rehearsal space. It explored the dynamic between our working and home lives through the eyes of 5 employees of (the fictitious) Southern Electrics company. Audience members were job applicants and interacted with the performers as they were interviewed for a job, whilst being encouraged to explore the space freely for themselves. The upstairs space was transformed – entering firstly into a conventional office and later discovering the numerous other rooms: PARTY packed with balloons and blaring 80s music – audience could dance and eat pineapple and cheese, DREAMS – where audiences could lie in bed and write their dreams on the walls, FOREST thick with real Christmas trees and fake snow, LOOS – a pink fluffy girls loo and a blue boys loo with miniature soldiers and real grass, IDEAS – an office papered entirely with ideas from newspapers, books and magazines, TEA LADY – a tiny cupboard under the stairs where the tea lady lived – audiences could drink tea and have their tea leaves read, JEANETTE’S – entirely filled with cuddly toys floor to ceiling, MR BARRY’S OFFICE – (a male middle manager in a tweed twin set and pearls) an office complete with golden throne room; and downstairs CAMPSITE – a vast space filled with tents and camping equipment. No space was left untouched, it was completely transformed.
A hilarious and anarchic look behind the scenes of a dreary suburban office.
“I had a magical evening”
“I wanted to say how much I loved your work on Sat night; I haven’t had so much fun in ages”
“I want a job here!”