Pavanveer Sagoo interviews Alex Palmer & Elvi Piper about how they started their own theatre company.
About our guests:
Alex Palmer
Alex is a theatre director based in the North. He has an extensive knowledge of immersive theatre and site-based work and is now known for creating award-winning digital, immersive theatre events. He has worked with Internationally renowned company Punchdrunk (2013, 'The Drowned Man') and on the BAFTA-nominated show with You Me Bum Bum Train. (2014)
Alex was awarded a place on the JMK Young Directors scheme (Leeds Playhouse) where he has gone on to work with award-winning artists such as David Shearing ('The Weather Machine' (2014) - winning Gold for Installation at the World Stage Design).
Alex regularly teaches at Leeds Conservatoire, University of Leeds on Acting, Directing and Performance courses.
In 2014, Alexander founded Riptide with the ambition of seeking to push the boundaries of what is possible in theatre. Riptide have gone on to make a large range of work including; large-scale immersive shows (SWARM, 2015) to intimate, personal performances (You Are Here, 2014) and performances which are bespoke to each audience member and which pervade across several weeks (The Lucky Ones, 2018).
Ultimately, Alex is responsible for the creative direction and artistic quality of Riptide’s work.
Elvi Piper
Elvi Piper is a freelance theatre director and writer based in Leeds. She trained at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama and Insitut del Teatre, Barcelona. She is the founder and current Artistic Director of award-winning family theatre company Wrongsemble.
With a background in participatory arts engagement Elvi had created, managed and delivered exciting programmes for organisations including The National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Leeds Playhouse, and The Old Vic. Elvi is a Mentor Director for the National theatre's Connections programme.
Recent work includes:
The Coup Coup Club - Leeds Conservatoire and Slung Low (Jan 2023); A Town Called Christmas - a Wrongsemble and Gala Durham co-production (Nov-Dec 2022); Romeo and Juliet for kids! - Storyhouse (Oct-Nov 2022); Belle Isle Stories - Red Ladder Theatre Company (Sept 2022); The Not So Grimm Twins - a Wrongsemble and Gala Durham co-production (July-Sept 2022); BOY by Leo Butler - Leeds Conservatoire (April-May 2022); The Not So Ugly Sisters - a Wrongsemble, Leeds Playhouse and Red Ladder Theatre Company co-production which opened at Leeds Playhouse (March 2020-April 2022);The Snow Queen a Wrongsemble, The Albany and ARC Stockton co-production (Nov-Dec 2021). Tinsel a Wrongsemble production in partnership with Red Ladder Theatre Company, Codswallop CIC, Slung Low and Leeds Libraries in Dec 2021.
Upcoming Projects: The Not So Grimm Twins - Wrongsemble (National Tour 2023); A Midsummer Night's Dream - Grosvenor Open Air Theatre (May-Aug 2023); A Midsummer Night's Dream for kids! - Storyhouse (Oct 2023); Bradford Literature Festival family theatre rep season 2023 (Wrongsemble); A Town Called Christmas - Sheffield Crucible (Dec 2023)
Listen to the episode here:
