romcom

Following some experiments in late 2002, Ant Hampton (Rotozaza) and Glen Neath created ROMCOM, or, the distance love can be maintained between any two fixed points. Two unrehearsed performers - different for each show - meet on stage before an audience and enact the story of a relationship. They wear headphones which tell them what to say and do. Two ipods - one for each performer - are started simultaneously with a video containing both the music for the show and the images projected as backdrops to the action. All three sources then run on for 50 minutes without any human intervention; the entire stage business of this production - blackouts, titles for scenes, sound cues, music, lighting - is automated, using these simple means. The structure then is totally automatic and 'closed', thereby foregrounding the variable, human process of negotiating and carrying out the instructions

Performances:

291 Gallery, Hackney Road, London, UK: Finlay Robertson & Amber Sealey - March 15; David Rosenberg & Gemma Brockis - March 16, 2003

West End Centre, Aldershot, UK: Martin Huggan & Camilla Greene - March 25 2004

The Arches Festival, Arches, Argyle Street, Glasgow, UK: Paul Blair & Alison Peebles - April 15; Ross Stenmore & Judith Williams - April 16; Neil Francis & Michaela Dunne - April 17 2004

Garage Festival, Stralsund, Germany: Jens Bohnsack & Linde Engelhardt - August 12, 2004

Plateaux Festival, Mousonturm, Frankfurt, Germany: Jerry Killick & Elyce Semenec - October 14; Lars Rudolph & Caroline Peters - October 15, 2004

Live Brits Festival, Hau 3, Hebbel an Ufer, Berlin, Germany: Tilo Werner & Sussane Sachsse - January 7; Bastian Trost & Bettina Grahs - January 9, 2005

Phoenix Theatre, Exeter, UK: Marcus Bartlett & Katie Beswick - May 3, 2005

Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, London, UK: Sophie Okonedo & Greg McLaren - May 29, 2005

Hackney Empire, London, UK: Sean Hughes & Hannah Ringham - July 17, 2005

Grand Theatre, Noorderzon Festival, Groningen, The Netherlands: Gerry van der Laan & Sarah van Steenderen - August 20, 2005; Mirjam Stolwijk & Jochem Koole - August 21, 2005

Project Space, Dublin Theatre Festival, Eire: Lisa Lambe & Karl Shiels - September 29; Katherine O'Malley & Wolfgang Hoffmann - September 30; Ruth Negga & Tadg Murphy - October 1, 2005

Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zurich, Switzerland: Fabienne Hadorn & Martin Zimmerman - January 22; Barbara Maurer & Thomas Wodianka - January 23, 2006

Poole Civic Centre, Poole, UK: Laura Griffin & Lee Hart - March 14, 2006

Elkafka Espacio Teatral, Buenes Aires, Argentina (with Spanish surtitles): Bárbara Togander & Pablo Messiez - March 23; Soledad Galarce & Diego Leske - March 23; Elena Gowland & Mariano Caligaris - March 25, 2006

Shunt Vaults, Joiner Street, London, UK: Greg Henderson Begg & Emily Mytton - January 24; Matt Rudkin & Emma Macfarlane - January 25; Neil Edmond & Melanie Wilson - January 26, 2007

Escrita Na Paisagem, Evora, Portugal (in Portuguese): Dora Bernardo & Tiago Porteiro - July 5, 2007

Krakowskie Reminiscencje Teatralne, Krakow, Poland (with Polish surtitles): Michal Kocurek & Monika Radziwon - April 24; Marta Wardynska & Jakub Snochowski - April 25, 2008

Stoke Newington International Airport, London, UK: Bill Aitchison & Tania El Khoury - October 24, 2009

Watch romcom showreel on youtube