Quarantine
“There is no company in the UK working quite in the area of Quarantine, a truly wonderful company that uses the lives and experiences of real people as the starting point for all their shows and who put their subjects centre stage and let them speak for themselves...”
Lyn Gardner, The Guardian, November 2006
Based in Manchester, Quarantine makes and tours work nationally and internationally.
We question the rules of conventional theatre. We work with both experienced performers and people who have never performed before. Using their personal histories and experiences, we invent a theatrical form that’s tailored to each piece – from intimate encounters to epic events.
We often make theatre that blurs, exchanges or even removes the distinction between spectator and performer. Our past projects have included shared meals, family parties and a journey in the dark for one person at a time - as well as more conventional performances on stage, watched by audiences in seats. Quarantine asks questions: about the world we live in, about who theatre is for – and who should make it. Quarantine is led by directors Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea with designer Simon Banham.
Recent productions include:
- 'Susan & Darren' – An event with dancing, created with and performed by Darren Pritchard of Company Fierce, another company previously incubated by PANDA, and his mum, Susan. Originally co-produced with Queerupnorth and Contact, toured the UK in 2006 and 2007.
- 'Something a taxi driver in Liverpool said…' - A journey in total darkness for one person at a time, part of the British Council showcase in Edinburgh in 2003, and toured Canada in 2005.
- 'Grace' - Showed at Contact from 11th - 22nd October 2005.
Quarantine are based in Manchester and were incubated during PANDA's pilot phase, October 2002 to December 2003.