Getting Better Slowly
by Adam Pownall - GBS Projecttheatre, dance
A creative collision of movement, sound and new writing telling a story of positive recovery
about the production
What if you woke up to find your body was slowly shutting down? Your ability to walk, talk, blink was stolen from you. Nobody knows how, nobody knows why. Guillain Barré Syndrome affected Adam Pownall in 2009 causing full paralysis within 3 weeks. In a creative collision of movement, sound and new writing, the GBS Project tells a story of positive recovery. The project is supported by Arts Council, GAIN Charity, Core Lincolnshire One Venues, Lincoln Drill Hall, ARC Stockton, Deda, & In Good Company.
about the artist
Creative Team Director - Tilly Branson Movement Director - Marc Brew Playwright - Nick Wood Sound Designer - Adam P McReady Dramaturg - Luca Rutherford Performers - Adam Pownall, Kitty Randle
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stage dimensions
width: 5 metres
height: 3 metres
depth: 5 metres
Basic small scale lighting rig
PA
Operated by Production manager
• Contemporary / Fringe Theatre
• Movement / Dance
• Spoken Word
• Verbatim
• Stories about illness and recovery
• Recovery
• NHS
• Disabled Arts
• Accessibility
A personal story of a positive recovery from a debilitating disease, told through movement, sound and the spoken word in the centenary year of Guillain Barre Syndrome first being diagnosed in France in 1916. A moving and affecting story told with humour and optimism.
“A thoughtful, moving, cheeky and well-executed fusion of dance, words and sounds … [a] generous piece of work that grabs your heart and your breath as you follow Adam’s story of surviving a terrifying and disabling illness.”
“I loved the blend of forms: narration, verbatim recordings, drama and particularly the dance, which I think is the key to it all - as it’s a show about the body.”
“…the moments when I really leaned forward in my seat were when you told me something universal about our relationship with our bodies. When you shared insights you had gained from the disease in the detail of how you felt about your body at different points - and that lovely metaphor of the toy man. I suddenly became very aware of my own body, and was able to connect to the story in a more immediate and visceral way.”
We take accessibility seriously for the GBS project, Marc Brew our Movement Director is a disabled artist and Adam Pownall is formerly disabled.
We are always open to discussions on accessibility and already have performances with caption options in certain venues.
Post show discussions available with no cost
Participatory workshops available, can be tied into package or a stand alone negotiable cost of £250
Workshops on movement, theatre-making, working with disabled artists, autobiographical performance, new writing.
Discussions and lectures available on Guillian Barre Syndrome from GAIN Charity & Adam Pownall
Ideally £800 - £1000 dependent on venue capacity. Negotiable with longer runs or versus box office splits.
