Bric à Brac Theatre and Told by an Idiot present a glimpse at our future in a new dark comedy, The Intrusion

Bric à Brac Theatre and Told by an Idiot present a glimpse at our future in a new dark comedy, The Intrusion

In a new and dynamic collaboration, Bric à Brac Theatre and Told by an Idiot explore the end of human civilisation and the community who outlive them in The Intrusion. Through original music, creative captioning, humour and sharp satire, this darkly comic production offers audiences across the UK an anarchic look at extinction and questions who gets to survive.

Bric à Brac Theatre and Told by an Idiot will blend their innovative storytelling to present a comedic and captivating show that follows a curious community in the aftermath of a climate disaster, as they navigate their new world. When a leader emerges from this group, promising hope for a better future, they soon learn that it might be too late to reverse the damage already caused. This devised work demonstrates both companies’ belief in the power of physical comedy to share important information and encourage discussion.

The show has been developed in partnership with both expert voices and local communities’ experiences of, and attitudes towards, climate change. Through an outreach workshop programme, participants gain first-hand experience in Told by an Idiot and Bric à Brac’s collaborative approach to creating work, delving deeply and personally into the themes of The Intrusion. By creatively exploring the climate crisis, workshop participants are invited to address the issue on a personal level.

Bric à Brac Theatre are a Lecoq trained devising company who champion feminist theatre to address taboo subjects. Unafraid to push the boundaries, their collaborative practice aims to tackle challenging current affairs and showcase stories that deserve to be seen onstage. Combining various theatre mediums, Bric à Brac creates work that causes their audiences to become proactive and ask questions, all whilst maintaining the desire to develop meaningful connections.

In this collaboration with Told by an Idiot, who have been creating theatre ‘bigger than life’ since 1993, The Intrusion will highlight both companies’ commitments to presenting the stories of characters who are often on the margins, or who simply act as comic relief, at the very heart of the narrative.

Paul Hunter, artistic director of Told by an Idiot comments, We are delighted to announce our new collaboration with our associate company Bric à Brac. The Intrusion is a highly theatrical fable inspired by Kafka, which fuses elements of the real and the fantastic, the documentary and the dream. As the world hurtles ever closer to climate catastrophe, we were interested in supporting a playfully comic response to a desperate situation. With creative use of creative captioning and dynamic original music, this is a show that will play across both theatre spaces and in the heart of local communities. The Intrusion continues the Idiots’ commitment to supporting the next generation of innovative theatre makers, and we look forward to once again engaging with audiences across the UK.

Bric à Brac Theatre comments, _We are thrilled to be creating this new show alongside the brilliant Told by an Idiot, a company we’ve long admired. We are excited to delve into the challenging topic of climate change and create a hilarious call to arms for our audiences that provokes, engages and leaves them with a flicker of hope._

Previous praise for Bric à Brac Theatre:
The cast members are faultless in their hybrid roles and the whole thing is, aptly, a perfect_ _example of the risk of new and exploratory ideas paying off -_ ★★★★ The Observer on Glass Ceiling Beneath the Stars

Remarkably intricate piece of theatre -_ ★★★★ British Theatre Guide on Glass Ceiling Beneath the Stars

Previous praise for Told by an Idiot:
One of the jewels of left field British theatre_ – The Guardian
Their work is never less than sublime_ – The Independent
Theatre about as inventive, imaginative and fantastical as it gets_ – Time Out

Credits