TAMSIN SHASHA
TAMSIN TRAINED AT OXFORD SCHOOL OF DRAMA AND ECOLE PHILIPPE GAULIER BEFORE RE-TRAINING AS AN AERIALIST AT NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CIRCUS ARTS. SHE CO-FOUNDED ACTORS OF DIONYSUS (AOD) IN 1993 AND HAS WORKED FOR THEM AS PRODUCER, PERFORMER, DIRECTOR AND WRITER.
SHE IS AN EXPERIENCED PERFORMER, DIRECTOR AND AERIALIST AND HAS COLLABORATED ON THE MAJORITY OF AOD’S PRODUCTIONS INCLUDING WITH MARCELLO MAGNI (COMPLICITÉ), WITH WHOM SHE CO-DIRECTED OEDIPUS; THEA BARNES (PHOENIX DANCE) ON ANTIGONE AND GEORGE MANN (THEATRE AD INFINITUM) ON HELEN.
SHE IS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF USING AERIAL CIRCUS IN A THEATRICAL CONTEXT AND THIS IS HER 4TH PROJECT WORKING IN THIS PARTICULAR FIELD, AFTER BACCHIC AND HELEN (BOTH WITH AWARD WINNING THEATRE MAKER JONATHAN YOUNG) AND MEDEA (USING WALL RUNNING AND COUNTER-WEIGHT). SHE IS ALSO KEEN TO EXPLORE THE NATURE OF SEXUALITY AND AGEING IN A POETIC, PHYSICAL AND AERIAL CONTEXT AND HOW THE BODY AND VOICE COPE AT HEIGHT.
SHE IS EXCITED TO BE WORKING WITH MAISY TAYLOR ON THEIR FIRST AERIAL COLLABORATION.
REVIEWS
BACCHIC AT GILDED BALLOON (EDINBURGH FRINGE) AND NATIONAL TOUR:
‘SHASHA IS A DAZZLING, SENSUOUS PERFORMER. THIS INVENTIVE REWORKING HAS PERTINENCE, CONVICTION AND STYLE.’
BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE ★★★★★
‘CLEVER, HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, AN ORIGINAL, REMARKABLE & MESMERISING REWORKING…ALAN CUMMING WILL HAVE TO WORK HARD TO BETTER THE HUGELY TALENTED TAMSIN SHASHA.’
THE SCOTSMAN ★★★★
‘A THEATRICAL GEM NOT TO BE MISSED.’ TOTAL THEATRE
OTHER REVIEWS
'HELEN IS AN INSPIRED PIECE OF THEATRE METICULOUSLY PRESENTED.’ THE ARGUS ★★★★
'ASTONISHING AND UNFORGETTABLE...THIS IS A HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PRODUCTION.'
FRINGE REVIEW, ON HELEN
MAISY TAYLOR
MAISY IS A HIGHLY SKILLED AERIALIST, ARTIST, TEACHER, MODEL AND ACTRESS WITH A LOVE OF CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE. SHE MAKES SLOW LYRICAL AERIAL THEATRE, OFTEN WORKING FROM AN INTELLECTUAL STIMULUS. SHE IS METICULOUS AND CONSIDERED IN HER RESEARCH AND DOES A LOT OF DRAWING AND WRITING AS PART OF HER PROCESS.
SHE IS INTERESTED IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR BODIES AND HOW YOU CAN TELL STORIES THROUGH MOVEMENT, AND ALWAYS STRIVES TO MAKE WORK THAT IS BOTH THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND AESTHETICALLY UNUSUAL.
SHE ALSO HAS A GROWING FASCINATION WITH SEXUALITY AND ITS PLACE IN MODERN SOCIETY AND CULTURE, HAVING SPENT THE LAST FEW YEARS IN STRIP CLUBS AND ON THE CABARET SCENE IN LONDON, WHERE HER WORK IS DARK AND EROTIC. SHE FINDS THIS WORK INCREDIBLY CREATIVE AND EMPOWERING AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN ITS SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
SHE WAS BORN INTO A CIRCUS FAMILY AND HAS BEEN PERFORMING SINCE SHE WAS VERY YOUNG, RECENTLY GRADUATING WITH A FIRST CLASS HONOURS DEGREE FROM THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR CIRCUS ARTS.
REVIEWS
'MAISY WORKS ELEGANTLY AND WEIGHTLESSLY ON THE ROPE…THERE’S EVEN A QUALITY OF LANGUOR – IT’S REFRESHING TO SEE SOMEONE TAKE THEIR TIME, ENJOYING THE HEIGHT AND SURVEYING THE SPACE. I ENJOYED THE LOVELY EXTENSIONS AND THE QUALITY OF HER MOVEMENT. AND SHE WAS ENGAGED WITH HER CONTENT – ALIVE WITH SUBTLE EMOTIONAL SHIFTS.’
JACEK SCARSO, ELASTIC THEATRE
'A BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE CONCEPT THAT CAPTURES THE COMFORT IN PRIVACY. TAYLOR’S AERIAL ROUTINE DEVELOPS THE NOTION OF BEAUTY IN SOLITUDE IN HOW SHE APPEARS TO LIE DOWN AND FLOAT IN MID-AIR. IT IS SIMPLY MAGIC.’
SAM LOWE, THE REVIEWS HUB
'MAISY TAYLOR USED A LARGE ROPE TO SCALE AMAZING HEIGHTS AND CONTORT INTO GRAVITY DEFYING POSITIONS.’
JENNI DIXON, THE PUBLIC REVIEWS
'THE TWO ROPE ARTISTS PERFORMED A BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY OF THEIR STRENGTH AND TALENT.’
SOPHIE FENELLA ROBINS, WHAT’S ON AT THE FRINGE
'MELANCHOLY ROPE WORK...BEAUTIFUL IN ITS SADNESS AND THE
SIMPLICITY OF ITS IMAGERY; AND LIKE THE TABLEAUX, FELT GENUINELY INSPIRED BY THE LIVES OF ITS TEENAGE STARS.’
RICHARD STAMP, FRINGE GURU