Elysium to crash in Ipswich
Friday, 23 December 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Doctor Who immersive theatre experience, The Crash of the Elysium is to be recreated at the Ipswich Arts Festival from 15th June to 8th July 2012, as part of the London 2012 Festival celebrating the Olympic Games taking place in the summer.The event was originally created by Punchdrunk for the Manchester International Festival that took place last June/July, and is described as:
A live Doctor Who adventure in which the audience is the star of the show. The production is unlike anything audiences will have ever experienced. This is their story, their mission, the audience are the hero. No two shows are ever the same, no individual adventure is ever repeated. There is no stage, there is no comfy seating, there is no division between the world of the audience and the world of the show.
The performances will take place at the Crown Car Park, and is sponsored locally by the New Wolsey Theatre; there will be three variations of the show, catering for schools, families with children aged 7-12, and for those aged 13 and older.Ruth Mackenzie, Director, Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival, said
I'm delighted that we can confirm that Ipswich will be the host for this brilliant show. The production will be a highlight of the London 2012 Festival and is sure to be a hot ticket. Our thanks go to Arts Council England for their funding support.’
Ipswich Borough Council Leader David Ellesmere said:This is fantastic news and something the Council is really pleased to be a partner in. The Crash of the Elysium will be a huge event for Ipswich and the region in 2012. It will also be a welcome boost for the local economy as it will bring thousands of people into the town. I would like to thank all our partners who will be helping us to put this together next June.
Sarah Holmes, New Wolsey Theatre Chief Executive said:We are very proud and excited to welcome the world-renowned Punchdrunk to the east for the first time but doing so as part of the London 2012 Festival and working with London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and with Manchester International Festival makes it even more exciting. The Crash of the Elysium will undoubtedly be one of the cultural highlights of the 2012 celebrations and it’s happening in Suffolk. This is an incredible opportunity and one not to miss.
Councillor Kathy Gosling, Suffolk County Council's portfolio holder for sport, culture, diversity, health and wellbeing, said:Suffolk County Council has been working hard to make sure the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games leaves a positive legacy for Suffolk. This news is a welcome boost to our ongoing campaign to capture some of the magic of the Games for local people to experience and enjoy. We are delighted to be working with London 2012, the New Wolsey Theatre, the Arts Council and Ipswich Borough Council to bring The Crash of the Elysium to Suffolk to our county town.’
Andrea Stark, Executive Director, Arts Council England, said: We are thrilled to support Ipswich Borough Council and the New Wolsey Theatre in their presentation of Punchdrunk’s live Doctor Who adventure The Crash of the Elysium. It's great to see a high-quality show with such universal appeal coming to the East of England. As a principal funder of the Cultural Olympiad, the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic movements, we are especially pleased that The Crash of the Elysium will form part of this. Its inclusion in the London 2012 Festival will bring unprecedented and well deserved national profile to Ipswich and the region.
There is a website for the event, though at the time of writing it is not currently active.
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