Manipulate

SUMMERHALL – EDINBURGH | 31ST JANUARY TILL 8TH FEBRUARY

One of the most exciting festivals in the Scottish calendar is returning, and it looks to be more sensational and adventurous than ever before. MANIPULATE, presented by Puppet Animation Scotland, is back for another year of astounding visual feasts.

Since 2008, MANIPULATE has been bringing the best of award-winning visual theatre, puppetry and animated film to Edinburgh. This year it’s bigger and better, and will showcase leading theatre artists and filmmakers from Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and the USA; presenting 28 animated films, 27 productions, 10 works in progress, 6 cabaret pieces, 3 workshops, and 1 industry-focused event.

‘We look forward to another exciting, stimulating and thought-provoking celebration of the very best of Scottish and international visual theatre, puppetry and animated film.’
Simon Hart, Puppet Animation Scotland Director

Each year MANIPULATE has opened the doors to leading Scottish-based and international theatre artists, in order to present their productions, works in progress and creative explorations. The festival celebrates the best of world visual and physical theatre, puppetry and animated film and art forms which use primarily visual means – gesture and body language, for example.

For the first time, alongside the puppetry, theatre and animated film there will also be a free (though ticketed, so plan ahead) evening cabaret, presented daily at 7:45pm. There’s a huge range of shows, with ticket prices between £4 and £12, and also some workshops if you are dying to try your own hand at puppetry or physical theatre.

Some of the shows to watch out for according to Director Simon Hart include, Open The Owl, a dynamic and innovative retelling of the classic Faust story’. Expect an exciting use of contemporary technology in imaginative ways to jolt your senses and experience the story on another level. Another piece to look forward to is Dreams of the Small Gods which presents ‘a richly visual reshaping of mythic themes and iconography using aerial theatre techniques’. This explores what the concept of gods meant to humans of the past, what they thought of when they strived to believe in something greater than themselves.

MANIPULATE seems like the perfect escape from the cold confines of winter. So wrap up warm and head out to what has consistently proven to be a highlight on the Scottish festival calendar, and prepare to be wowed, inspired and thoroughly entertained. There’s a huge range of shows to choose from, so take a look and see what excites you.

MANIPULATE runs from 31st January till 8th February at Summerhall and 2nd till 8th February at The Studio, Edinburgh.
manipulatefestival.org