overview of Trestle by Helen

'Trestle' by Helen Carr

Origins and style of the company:
• Founded in 1981 by four students from Middlesex University: Sally
Cook, Alan Riley, Toby Wilsher and Joff Chafer, with the help of their
course tutor, John Wright.
• Trestle's style can be defined as distinctive with the use of masks,
puppets and music.
• They went on to become one of Britain's leading touring theatre
companies.

Where they are based:
• In April 2002, after 20 years of just touring, the Company moved into
Trestle Arts Base, a £2,000,000 refurbishment of the Old Hill End
Hospital Chapel in St Albans, Hertfordshire. As well as providing the
Company with its first ever permanent home, Trestle Arts Base has
gained its own reputation as a successful performing arts centre.

Recently:
• After the departure of Toby Wilsher in 2004 (the last remaining
founding Artistic Director), and Emily Gray was appointed as the new
Artistic Director, the company began to collaborate with local,
national and international artists to create physical storytelling
theatre with diverse cultural expression.
• Little India (2007) was Trestle's first unmasked production.Working
with the Indian theatre company Little Jasmine, Trestle recreated a
telling of a classic Indian love story for a contemporary audience,
using traditional Indian martial art (kalari), music and storytelling.
• This year, Trestle is working with Barcelona-based dance company
Increpación Danza to develop a theatre flamenco dance fusion to tell
the story of Lola Montez; the infamous 19th century fake Spanish
dancer. Vicky Anderson, reviewer of 'The Liverpool Post' commented that
it was 'Inventive and imaginative, stripped-down, yet rich and
evocative, fantastical yet completely convincing every step of the way,
it was as effortlessly enjoyable as it was a challenging piece to take
in.'
• Later this year a collaboration with Polish vocal and physical
theatre artists will develop a piece that explores how music is used as
a language of identity amongst shifting cultural influences and
allegiances.

Bibliography:
•
http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/theatre/2004/03/trestle_theatre.shtml
• http://www.trestle.org.uk (official website)
•
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-arts/2008/10/06/trestle-theatre-company-s-lola-an-inventive-and-imaginative-triumph-at-unity-theatre-liverpool-64375-21973239/