Touring and devising performances, nationally and internationally the company offer workshops and residencies to accompany performance work.
Jane Sutcliffe is Artistic Director of Metaphysique.
www.metaphysique.co.uk
New Work in 2008 will celebrate 20 years of Jane's work....and 20 Luna years!
"CUPID'S STRONGEST BOW"
Touring small-scale arts centre venues. This show had its premiere as part of "The Moving Parts Festival" at The Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham on Valentine's Day, 8pm February 14th 2008 and finished the 2008 tour at The Artrix in Bromsgrove on June 26th
PERFORMANCE DATES
14th February 8pm Moving Parts Festival, Midlands Arts centre, Birmingham
4th April 2pm The Muath Trust, Bordesley Centre, Birmingham
25th April 3pm & 7.30pm - The Glasshouse Theatre, Stourbridge
30th April 7.30pm - Alcester Performing Arts College Theatre
2nd May 8pm St. Paul's Church, Portland Square Circomedia, Bristol - www.circomedia.com (Performances & Events)
16th May 7.30pm - The Grange Village Theatre, Camphill, Newnham-on-Severn
15th June 7.30pm - Newton Dee's Stage, Phoenix Hall, Camphill Steiner Project, Aberdeen
16th June 11am & 3pm - The Murtle Stage, Camphill Steiner Project, Aberdeen
20th June 2pm - The Merlin Theatre, Sheffield
26th June 8pm - Artrix - Bromsgrove www.artrix.co.uk
Valentine’s Day 2008 Birmingham
Really, really enjoyed the show..you were fab….
Great, just great…. Congratulations!
We want to see it again in Birmingham and soon!!!..
Even now I have a tear in my eye remembering last night...
Many congratulations on your wonderful performance tonight!
Just want to say a big WELL DONE!! again for the show last night. You must be really proud..
Thank-you very much indeed for the lovely performance last night. I found it touching, moving, comedic and entertaining in equal measures and I left in a very definite reflective mood with a gentle smile on my face. It was terrific to see such a big audience and one which really engaged with your work. Your performance was a veritable tour-de-force - I've not really seen your aerial work before - and the changing of tempi within the piece was very well judged.
With every good wish for the success of the rest of your tour...
This should be a smash!!..
Magnifique!
Brava!
Well done, Jane.
We really enjoyed it, and had a long chat afterwards about our favourite moments from the show. There were many!
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance which was enchanting, touching and very well received by your audience.
What an achievement! Congratulations!"
The Artrix June 2008
"Overwhelmed ... Laughter, Tears, Love...."
"Really enjoyed the show. Had me gripped for the hour. Lighting and sound was excellent"
"Can we have a CD of the soundtrack?"
"Beautiful performance! Made me smile, frown...many special moments. Keep up your amazing skill and work. Magnificent x"..
" A wonderful last performance Jane - I loved the teenage part it reminded me of my sister in year 9"
"It was a really clever and innovative performance - Well done!"
"I was captivated from start to finish... such warmth. The best evening I've ever spent in Bromsgrove!"..
"As a venue technician it is a pleasure to work on such a novel and innovative show"
"A fantastic new experience for me it provoked many emotions. A very clever performance. Thank-you!"
"Thank-you for such a thought-provoking presentation. I can't choose which part of the performance I enjoyed the most - it was all a delight, from the earliest scenes to the final moments. I hope you come again to the Artrix"
" There is so much in it, it is so rich that it is difficult to take it all in in one go... I need to see it again... a visually beautiful show""
"Another wonderful performance... I loved the way you put this one to bed"
"Clown and the Art of Romantic Comedy"
Jane will also be running workshops in "Clown and the Art of Romantic Comedy" to accompany performances of "Cupid's Strongest Bow".
I would like to dedicate "Cupid's Strongest Bow" to my friend Margaret Young 14th January 1963- 16th June 2006
"Cupid's Strongest Bow" follows on from "Soul in a Suitcase".
...and is Clown Luna's story of red hearts (and about not trying too hard!)
It is a play about the resilience of the human spirit. This kernel of humanity that seems to help us get along…which is beautiful, charming, stupid, naïve, child-like, grumpy and ultimately in this case - optimistic… "
A play about the journey through life and love from the heart embracing pleasure and pain, the profound and the profane, the ethereal and the mundane (and the downright silly!)
A piece of visual comedy that is audacious, poetic and painfully funny combining Clown play, aerial work, and music.
Jane has developed the show and its physical comedy with Director John Wright author of Why is That so Funny? aerial work with Mike Wright, Above and Beyond and music with Pete Williams.
"I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow;By his best arrow with golden head:By the simplicity of Venus' dovesBy that which knitteth souls and prospers loves..."
Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare
(Luna likes this bit in the Romantic Forest!)
"For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed".
The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
(Luna doesn't always understand Kahlil and has to say his name slowly but she did really have to give that heart a good wash and she does like the things he says... Sometimes she just prefers to listen to her fave Top Twenty LOVE HITS. See who's Top of The Pops this week on the other side of the page!)
"Faites pas comme moi, faites comme vous..." Jacques Lecoq 1986
"A mime has the mind of an author, the body of an athlete and the heart of a poet" Etienne Decroux
"Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited whereas imagination embraces the entire world". Albert Einstein
Metaphysique's workshop processes are based on improvisation, collaboration, research and play. The starting point is the individual - their range of movement, creativity and emotion.
Jane was born and brought up in North Wales. She was introduced to comedy by both Nana's. Favourites were Danny Kaye, Morecambe & Wise, Tommy Cooper, Doris Day, Les Dawson, Norman Wisdom and & Carry on films. After spending her spare time playing sport, riding horses and watching dance companies, she discovered Clwyd Youth Theatre in Spring 1982.
This led her to study a BA Hons in Drama and Theatre Arts combined with Physical Education at Birmingham University 1982-85. Whilst there she saw 'A Minute too Late' by Theatre de Complicite in the University Dance Studio and was inspired to go and study at Ecole de Theatre Jacques Lecoq, Paris October 1985-87.
This was where Clown Luna was born (midst the Red Roses and under the discerning, yet friendly eye of Jacques Lecoq).
The summer of 1987 was spent at The Documenta Art Festival in Kassel, Germany performing with Lecoq formed company 'Das Theater fur Millionen' where Jane began her professional career as a performer. Luna enjoyed playing the enchanting "Petite Fleur" as part of this Festival and became a fan of Vivaldi.
Jane is passionate about creating new original physical theatre performance and often works in collaboration with other artists and companies.
"Soul in a Suitcase"
Roy Sadler - The Glasshouse Theatre, Stourbridge 2004
"let us praise the breath that moves the limbs for a child of lyrics you dance as they come
and for a child of the heart you show to hearts who open for you
the space in between them and you audience and stage onetimespaceframe
of earth the body on the stage
speaking to the senses suspended in the gods
and water the flow of life imprinting the soul
and the air circulating through each breath and in between everyone present
the meaning actor and audience create together
and the fire in between trape-ease and strip-tease
between Krishna and the rock
the travelling self laid bare emerging
opening the perceived to take from the mind's serious case
and that life has mined
no open and shut case
as we climb up and down with you and clown with you
our souls make up
over the forlorn to wake up
and be reborn with you.
travelling light with us.
"Creates a poem with her movement" - The Stage, Edinburgh Festival 2002
"Sutcliffe's performance is mesmerising throughout assured, funny and subtle"
The Birmingham Post, July 2003
Jane was invited to audition for "Cirque du Soleil" after her performances at The Edinburgh Theatre Festival in 2002.
Jane met Slava Polunin and company whilst they were performing "Snowshow" at The Birmingham Hippodrome in November 2006. Jane was commissioned by The Hippodrome to undertake The Journey of the Clown. This was an Education Outreach programme exploring the art of the Theatre Clown with students from Four Dwellings Secondary School in Quinton, Birmingham. The performance by the students was presented at Birmingham Hippodrome on November 15th 2006. Jane was commissioned by the Hippodrome to make a solo performance entitled " Soul's Home" which was also performed on the same day. Jane's solo was based on the hatstand section of Slava's Snowshow. Both performances were presented to the company and were warmly received.
In 2007 Jane was cast by and filmed Clown sequences for Walt Disney and The Disney Channel.
