Signdance Collective celebrate their 30-year anniversary with their international tour of Carthage/Cartagena by Obie Award-winning playwright Caridad Svich and will be performing at Oxford Playhouse, Burton Taylor Studio on Friday 7th July at 7.30pm.

Set in an imagined despoiled, war-torn landscape, Carthage/Cartagena uncovers the lost voices of those who have been displaced and isolated by slavery, human trafficking, and forced migration. Signdance imagines Svich's text, which is constructed as a series of ten song-poems, through their signature hybrid form, incorporating dance, theatre, music and languages both spoken and signed.

From 1987 to 2000, the company's directors–Isolte Avila and David Bower–began constructing their unique fusion of sign theatre, dance, and original live music. In 2001, they formed Signdance Collective, a company crafting new and original work built on inclusivity, with a focus on disability- and deaf-led work. They have forged a number of international collaborations, delivering workshops and producing "innovative and creatively brilliant performances" (Diversity Awards, BBC) across the globe.

As David Bower, Signdance Collective’s Artistic Director, shares: “Carthage/Cartagena gives the quiet voice expression, a poetical plea through Signdance Collective for cosmopolitanism, reason and compassion."

The performance is suitable for 14+.

Carthage/Cartagena is supported by Arts Council England.

www.signdancecollectiveinternational.com

Reviews

David Crystal OBE, writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster on the English language:

"There is no word in the English language to categorise what the company has produced, for it is a mix of dance, theatre, music, spoken language, and signed language … the company’s self-description, ‘ signdance theatre’ comes closest. The hybrid captures the essence of all art, which is to make us 'see' in a way we have not seen before, and the juxtaposition of the different communicative mediums certainly gave this reviewer at least a fresh perspective on the function of language and its role as a means of unification as well as separation .....This is inclusive theatre at its best."

Peter Read, Playwright and Poet

"In a theatre landscape where the socially motivated angry writers of the sixties and seventies appear to be ancient history, it is exciting to see this outstanding offering from Signdance. Carthage combines poetry, music, sign and dance in this masterly presentation of physical theatre. Based on poetry written by Caridad Svich the audience is propelled into a world where the voice and beauty of nature are ignored. .....It is extraordinary how drama dealing with such suffering and barbarism can be so beautiful. This is due to the sparkling language of Caridad Svich’s poetry; the amazing acting of Isolte Avila, David Bower and Lionel M. Macauley and the haunting music of Angelina Schwammerlin.”

This is a production that everyone should see. But be prepared to be thinking about it for days to come, and like me, to be filled with the hope of seeing it again and again."