Gecko (theatre company)
Gecko is an internationally touring physical theatre company, founded in 2001, and led by Artistic Director Amit Lahav.
Overview
The style of the company was influenced primarily by the work of Lindsay Kemp and David Glass.
With an expanding ensemble of international performers and makers, Gecko creates work through collaboration, experimentation and play, in order to create a universal language through movement and dance.
The style is often referred to as 'Total Theatre', which Lahav describes as utilising any means possible to tell a story, including the creative deployment of puppets, props, physicality, language, music, lighting, multimedia and soundscapes to construct a complete theatrical world from these individual components. Through the ensemble's collaboration and the audience's engagement, each show continually evolves throughout their numerous stages of development.
The company tours nationally and internationally, developing strong partnerships around the world.
Beyond the stage, Gecko aspires to open the doors on their process via every possible avenue, be it digital, in schools or through one-to-one relationships with their audience.
Productions
- Taylor's Dummies - Voted best performance off-West End by Time Out Live Awards and has toured nationally and internationally.
- The Race - Performed at the Edinburgh Festival, won a Total Theatre Award, and has toured nationally and internationally, including a four-week run in New York City.
- The Arab and The Jew - toured extensively throughout the UK and internationally.
- The Overcoat - Adapted from Nikolai Gogol's short story a co-production between the Lyric Hammersmith in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth.[1]
- Missing - Started in 2012 and is still touring the globe. Performed in China in Macau and Hong Kong in September 2015.
- The Time of Your Life - a brand new, live 30 minute performance by Gecko created specially for BBC's Live From Television Centre. It was broadcast on 15 November 2015.
- Institute - Opened at Northern Stage in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2014 and was performed at the Pleasance Grand during the 2015 Edinburgh Festival. Institute recently showed at the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton from the 2nd to 5 November 2016.
- The Wedding - Gecko’s newest show previewed at Northern Stage in 2017 before going on to tour nationally in Autumn 2017 and Spring 2018.