A Little Space
A Mind the Gap & Gecko co-production
What does it mean to you to have a little space?
A space where we can escape the world and be ourselves; where no-one will ever bother us. But it can be an unpredictable space too, where voices vanish, fears leak through the floorboards and you never know who’s listening behind the door. A place where whispers come to life and one kind gesture could change everything.
A unique blend of theatre, choreography and stunning imagery.
Set in an apartment block, this devised show follows the lives of five people and explores what happens when they connect and disconnect from each other, whether through choice or through isolation. Drawing on the performers’ own experiences, A Little Space is a powerful piece of physical theatre, which uses movement, imagery, sound and lighting to portray the needs, desires and fears of the characters.
Following the international success of Gecko’s first Associate Show The Dreamer (2016) and Mind the Gap’s giant outdoor spectacle ZARA (2019), these two performance powerhouses join forces for a captivating production.
Mind the Gap’s Charli Ward and Karen Bartholomew team up with Gecko Devising Performer Dan Watson, Associate Directors Rich Rusk and Helen Baggett, Designer Rhys Jarman, Lighting Designer Chris Swain and Composer Dave Price, to create this intricately crafted physical theatre show.
Mind the Gap has an internationally respected methodology and approach to its work and is considered a beacon for learning disability arts and artists; A Little Space is their first physical theatre production. Gecko’s style is both physically demanding and emotionally honest, using breath as an anchor to explore movement and emotion. The company strives to make their work open to interpretation and put their audience at the heart of the narrative – an ethos that has been reflected in the devising of A Little Space as we ask you, the audience, how it feels to be alone.
A Little Space: The Film
Commissioned by The Space, this new version of our co-production provides a whole new experience to the stage version which toured theatre venues in 2019/2020. A Little Space: The Film premiered on Saturday 17 July 2021.
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Created by Karen Bartholomew, Rich Rusk, Charli Ward and Dan Watson
Devising Performers:
Paul Bates
Lorraine Brown
Alison Colborne
JoAnne Haines
Charlotte JonesProducers: Rosalind Wynn (for Gecko) & Deborah Dickinson (for Mind the Gap)
Design: Rhys Jarman
Lighting Design: Chris Swain
Original Music: Dave Price
Sound Design: Mark Melville
Associate Director: Helen Baggett
Associate Designer: Becky-Dee Trevenen
Production Manager: Ben Pugh
Company Manager: Melissa ConyersDuring creation and 2019-2020 touring:
Production Manager: Hannah Blamire
Re-lighter/Operator: Symon Culpin
Technical Stage Manager: Lee Silcock
Technical Manager/Re-lighter: Zeb BurnhamPhotography by Chris Payne and Tom Woollard
Click here to visit Mind the Gap’s website.
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About Mind the Gap
Founded in 1988, Mind the Gap is one of Europe’s largest learning disability theatre companies that creates work for UK and international audiences.Working in partnership with learning disabled artists, the company delivers a bold, cutting edge, world class artistic programme that impacts locally, nationally and internationally. Work that excites, surprises and challenges audiences in both traditional arts and theatre venues and in different spaces and places.
Its work ranges from award-winning touring theatre productions (CONTAINED, 2015-17; Mia, 2016 – 2018) to large scale outdoor spectacles (ZARA, 2019) and interactive workshops that aim to make change.
The Collaboration
Gecko and Mind the Gap’s paths first crossed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017. Mind the Gap had a desire to create a new piece of physical theatre and were impressed by Gecko’s style and commitment to artistic quality. In November 2017 the companies came together to explore the scope for collaboration, through a weeklong intensive residency, with Mind the Gap’s Artists. The incredible work created during this short time frame proved the viability of the partnership and left both companies excited about a future collaboration.Fast forward to October 2018, Gecko spent three weeks working with a range of students and Artists at Mind the Gap, with the aim of casting for a new piece of work, based around the idea of light and space. Five performers stood out and brought their individual talents and aesthetics to what eventually became A Little Space.
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We have created a Sound World Information Sheet to enable D/deaf, deafened and hard of hearing audience members to understand the soundscape of the show and how it feeds into the other elements of our performance. Please read the information in advance of attending the show. Where possible we offer a BSL interpreted post show discussion in collaboration with our venue partners.
Click here to download the Sound World of A Little Space (PDF)
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“As is to be expected from Gecko, this is visually stunning stuff, dotted with thrilling moments of surprise and ingenuity. There are also welcome flashes of humour… But it’s perhaps at its best in those startling moments of connection, when divided lives suddenly – if only briefly – converge.” ★★★★ The Guardian
“Mind the Gap and Gecko had lit a spark in my chest that left me feeling compelled to stagger out into the world, to breathe in it’s beautiful light, form new connections and hold new hands” ★★★★ Mumble Theatre
“They are all excellent. The pain of existence and the angst of existential thought is clear in their eyes and their dance.” ★★★★ Northern Soul
“There were so many ways this show could be interpreted, and so many hidden layers, it is definitely something I’d recommend watching more than once.” Disability Arts Online
“With a gripping narrative, the show uses sound and lighting to constantly produce the unexpected, prompting deep reflection on the space we inhabit and our needs, desires, and fears as human beings.” Mancunion
“A Little Space is a challenging and thoroughly engaging work, told with humour and a great deal of poignancy and provides much food for thought on the way home” Ipswich Star
'This show isn't about having a learning disability - it's about being human' Article by Gay Bolton for Derbyshire Times
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2020
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, UK
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, UK
Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, UK
Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, UK
Derby Theatre, Derby, UK
HOME, Manchester, UK2019
The Old Market, Hove, UK
Gulbenkian, Canterbury, UK
Mumford Theatre, Cambridge, UK
Square Chapel Arts Centre, Halifax, UK
Support
Gecko is supported by Arts Council England and Ipswich Borough Council. A Little Space is a Mind the Gap and Gecko co-production, commissioned by HOME Manchester and The Place.