MARCO
by Upstarttheatre, physical-theatre-and-circus
Athlete. Hero. Cheat. An explosively physical solo show about what it means - and what it takes - to succeed.
about the production
In 1998, while Marco Pantani was winning the Tour de France, Simon was grazing his knee in a race with his brother on second-hand bikes. Six years later, Marco died. Disgraced in a doping scandal, he locked himself in a hotel room and killed himself with a massive overdose of cocaine. Tonight, armed only with an inflated sense of his own ability and his junior cycling proficiency badge, Simon sets out to do justice to the epic story of his hero. Yes, OK, he was a cheat. But wouldn't you have done the same?
about the artist
Upstart exists to provoke honest, playful and inspiring conversations about the biggest challenges which face our society. We use theatre to create connections within and between communities, both in the UK and around the world, and to bring previously unheard voices into the mainstream. Previous productions include Phone Home (Shoreditch Town Hall), The Last Ones (Jermyn Street Theatre), Silent Planet (Finborough), The Situation Room (Hull Truck and UK tour), The Maddening Rain (international tour and Soho Theatre). Upstart runs the annual DARE Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall, where we are an associate company.
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stage dimensions
width: 6 metres
height: 2 metres
depth: 4 metres
Dance floor.
We are aiming for a nationwide audience. We think the show will be of particular interest to people who participate in sport, especially cycling. It also explores the toxic nature of the culture of masculinity and we are keen to tie in with people and organisations wishing to promote gender equality and a new understanding of masculinity.
"Fantastic performance...[Simon Jones] gave it his all."
"It was brilliant, I really enjoyed it."
"Passages of intensely beautiful movement....Jones is a wonderful performer, and this particular work of his has real potential"
During the 2017 R&D tour we performed with a BSL interpreter and are keen to follow up on this in 2018.
Simon Jones can run a 2 hour workshop on devising physical theatre, along with one or more members of the creative team. Cost: £250.
Ideally £500 per performance in a studio theatre but we are prepared to discuss splits for the right venues.
