Original theatre
A selection of shows from the archive - written/devised & performed by Matt Rudkin, often in collaboration.
Buddism: is it
for for Losers?
Made with Joe Mulcrone and
Merry Colchester.
Framed as a support group meeting for those who ‘think too much’, a confessed analysis junkie dramatically reconstructs a tortuous train of thought, en-route to a mid-life epiphany. Encounters with ‘Non-Sense therapy’ seemingly cure him of his addiction, but lead to a crippling dependency on idiotic behaviour. Provocative, intelligent and entertaining,
Link to the longer video
"..slapstick, poo jokes & philosophy.. I was thoroughly entertained - Fringe Review
Highly recommended show -
‘Very, very funny. Not just funny and inventive, but funny in a genuinely fresh new way, and funny with real ideas standing behind it’ - ★★★★ Fringe Guru
naive dance masterclass
Made with Silvia Mercuriali
An electrical fault during a gala performance leads a renowned dancer to the shocking realisation that his technical prowess simply leads spectators to more deeply comprehend their own inadequacies. This insight prompts him to search for a quasi-religious dance form that might transcend egoistic desires through the active pursuit of humiliating experiences. An encounter with an immigrant hula-hoopist provides the pivotal moment in the formalisation of this new genre, but also leads to a romantic entanglement that will test to the limit his ability to dance his way out of crisis…
'Hilarious, bizarre and captivating' - ★★★★★
The Latest Magazine
‘a joyfully liberating way to spend the better part of an hour.’ - Fringe Guru ★★★★
FAKE HIP GNOSIS
Made with Joe Mulcrone and
Merry Colchester.
Fictitious avant-garde performance troupe, ‘Slash Theatre’, share their research into the uncanny links between the trance induction techniques of Milton Erickson, and the shamanistic rituals of the North American Kickapoo tribe.
Devised from fragments of hypnotic tracks and first-hand accounts of transcendental experience, this show has the look and feel of an absurd comic parody, whilst subtly engaging with questions of purpose, free will, and self-belief.
‘It’s hard to explain what makes Fake Hip Gnosis so entertaining... this is a show which wrong-foots you at each and every turn. It’s creative, distinctive, and well worth taking a chance on.’★★★★ -
Fringe Guru
the room in
the elephanT
Made with Joe Mulcrone and
Merry Colchester.
Seemingly set in a garden shed, this provocative comedy begins with two young men struggling to come up with ideas for a show they are due to perform the following week. They decide that the show will be an exact re-creation of the creative process they are currently struggling with, and begin to record their conversation. A third, older performer arrives and says this sounds like some “awful, self- referential bullshit,” which they will be unable to carry off given their poor acting skills - “And you’ll say that in the actual show!” they tell him.
"The finest self-referential bullshit you could ask for" ★★★★
- Broadway Baby
"comedy gold ... The Room In the Elephant keeps on giving and is full of surprises. The ending is a total hoot" - Total Theatre
the time machine
Made with Rick Conte
Can it be true? Can Man build such a machine that may speed along the dimension of time to the very ends of the Earth?! What wonders may await in one million year’s time? And what unspeakable dangers?!
Combining exquisite puppetry, scintillating melodrama and a luxurious soundscape, this fast-paced adaptation whisks family audiences along through H.G.Wells’ sci-fi classic. It is a tale of human folly, evolutionary change and social upheaval, suitable for all enquiring minds aged 7 and above.
dean gibbons & the knowledge of death
Made with Silvia Mercuriali
Based on the claims of evolutionary psychology and set amidst the twin threats of ‘peak oil’ and climate change, this darkly comic show combines performance-lecture, physical theatre and a range of puppet styles in a provocative work of social-science-fiction.
‘Genuinely funny and starkly thought-provoking’ - Fringe Guru
the twisted ladder
Made at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
This piece was devised in 2004 over 8 weeks whilst working with students on the Contemporary Theatre course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). The title refers to a name given to the structure of DNA, and the process began with the question:
'How has a widespread belief in evolution affected notions of romantic love?'
the incredible bull circus
Made with Mikey Martins
This street theatre clown show was originally created by Ivan Fabrega and Mikey Martins. When Ivan decided to hang up his castanets in 2003, Mikey invited me to take on his role and thus began a 5-year adventure in the world of street theatre.
We toured during the summer months to festivals throughout the UK and Ireland, and to Belgium, Holland, France, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, evolving the show as we went.
Full of ridiculous puns, improvisation and bad Spanish accents, it proved to be a fantastic learning experience in the art of holding the attention of a general public free to walk away
happy clap trap nativity panto
Writen with Joe Kenny
I began this alternative cabaret with Joe Kenny in 2012 at the Marlborough Theatre. We aimed to showcase the work of local artistes making work with an offbeat joie de vivre.
Here is our annual ‘Nativity Panto’, performed with regular Clap Trap performers.
