Naïve Dance. Masterclass PROMO PACK. Inconvenient Spoof present. Written by Matt Rudkin, developed with Silvia Mercuriali & performed by them both

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1 PROMO PACK Surreal, weird and brilliant Total Theatre Nominated Best Male Performer Brighton Fringe 2011 a joyfully liberating way to spend the better part of an hour Fringe Guru Inconvenient Spoof present Naïve Dance Masterclass Written by Matt Rudkin, developed with Silvia Mercuriali & performed by them both

2 The Company Inconvenient Spoof is a new collaboration by Silvia Mercuriali & Matt Rudkin that combines their considerable previous experience in Live Art, Street theatre, Puppetry and Dance to create work that is provocative, intelligent and entertaining, with a broad, inclusive appeal. Silvia is best known as one half of the internationally acclaimed Rotozaza; is a regular performer with the Clod Ensemble and co-director of Il Pixel Rosso. Matt set up and hosted Edinburgh's original Bongo Club Cabaret, toured the UK and Ireland in shows for Puppet Lab, and internationally with street theatre clown show, The Incredible Bull Circus. Inconvenient Spoof actively seek to blur distinctions between art and entertainment and make work that forms the basis for a good night out. Their devising process is equally informed by text, improvisation, imagery and research to produce mixed-media performance with a rich vein of humour.

3 The show Inspired by years spent in a love/hate relationship with experimental performance, Naïve Dance Masterclass is an earnest exploration of selfconsciousness and authenticity wrapped up inside a withering spoof. Tried and tested as a 25-minute solo piece (including appearances at the LIFT festival, Whitstable Biennale and Shunt Lounge), it is now redeveloped into a 50-minute show also featuring Silvia Mercuriali. An electrical fault during a gala performance leads a renowned dancer to the shocking realisation that his effortless brilliance simply leads spectators to more deeply comprehend their own inadequacies. This insight prompts a dramatic change of career path into the civil service, and the search for a quasi-religious dance practice that transcends egoistic desires through the active pursuit of humiliating experiences. A chance encounter with an immigrant hula-hoopist leads to a romantic entanglement that is to test to the limit the cathartic power of his new dance practice.

4 Reviews FRINGE GURU, Brighton Fringe, 8th May 2011 Reviewed by Richard Stamp 'It's a rare privilege to witness the emergence of a brand new art form - especially one with such natural power, fed by the potential that lives inside us all. But in this inspirational, seminal masterclass, renowned contemporary dancer Matt Rudkin... oh, I can't keep a straight face; this whole thing's a spoof, an eloquent parody of the excesses of performance art, and a joyfully liberating way to spend the better part of an hour. The fake tutorial kicks off with a nonsensical opening monologue, as our class leader explains how "shedding his Lycra skin" proved the genesis for a new style he calls Naïve Dance. As his lecture proceeds, the offbeat juxtapositions and random conceits just keep on coming, rendered alarmingly real by the perfect characterisation of a self-centred expert holding court on stage. He walks pretentiously, he talks pretentiously and, gosh, he even swears pretentiously; he goes far enough to confirm it's a joke, but not so far that it couldn't possibly be real. The script, too, is filled with well-chosen barbs, taking a devastatingly surgical knife to all which has ever dwelled at the likes of the ICA. And the Naïve Dance itself, when we finally get to see it, is the sharpest in-joke of all. If you've ever sat po-faced through an inscrutable piece and wondered if they're laughing inside, you'll revel in the conspiratorial knowledge that this time, they really are having you on. All the same, there's genuine skill on display - I hadn't known it was physically possible to do quite so much with a hula hoop - and the dance, for all that it's ridiculous, isn't without beauty. There's a plot twist too, which I wouldn't dream of spoiling, but which does reveal

5 that some of the wilder fancies of the opening half were there for more than just giggles. But if your mind does wander at any stage, hang on in there for the rewarding finale. There's the punchline to end all punchlines, then our instructor leaves the stage - and we're thrown into a quirky, tragi-comic addendum, a memorable final flourish to send us on our way. There's a real thoughtfulness beyond all the lampooning, and ultimately, this witty show's intelligent iconoclasm proves anything but naïve'. TOTAL THEATRE REVIEW, Edinburgh Fringe 16th August Reviewed by Andy Roberts Matt Rudkin left the world of professional dance to take a job in the Metropolitan police, but, after some time spent riot training with his new friends, a chance meeting with a busking hula princess (represented to us in the form of a small toy) lead to an epiphany, the development of naïve dance, and the ultimate return of Matt to the world of contemporary dance. The recounting of this story is the first of many surreal moments that grace the stage, and it only gets wonderfully odder from there on in. The performance itself is in the form of a lecture-presentation, building up to the inevitable demonstration of naïve dance, the reason we are all here. Rudkin has amazing stage presence. His ability to flip performance registers is quite surreal - every time he switches back to his formal lecture mode there's a moment of realisation at how mad the piece has become, and every time you think you have found a flaw in his weird dance logic Rudkin brings his own reasoning to light. He mocks the forms of contemporary dance/performance, but at the same time pays nothing but tribute to them. The inevitable moment comes as the demonstration of naïve dance - which is made up of three stages: the dance of air, liquid and flesh - begins, but it is quickly broken by the entrance of the real life hula princess. The focus of the story is then positioned on the twisted relationship between the two of them. There are many highlights in this surprising and entertaining performance as the strange just keeps getting stranger: the manipulation dance where the hula girl is thrown about the stage is both compassionate and fierce, and has you transfixed; and the mini performance art puppet is nothing short of brilliant as a reflection of the audience's own grasp on what has just taken place in front of them. This performance won't be for everyone, but will be remembered by all who witness it. Surreal, weird and brilliant, I can't wait to see what Inconvenient Spoof come up with next.

6 Tech The show uses no set and minimal props, making it highly portable with quick get-in and strike times. Audio is operated from a laptop connected to the sound desk. The lighting plan (right) can be adapted to suit venue facilities. There is no pyrotechnics, strobe lighting or other effects that pose a risk to health and safety. The show does feature music from a variety of sources and a PRS form is available upon request. Touring Info Venue size: Minimum stage dimensions are 4m (wide) x 3m (deep) Other requirements: 1 mic on stand Company size: Three on the road (two performers and one tech operator) Touring period: All year around Language: English, but it can be translated into other languages Wrap Around Activity Drawing on Matt's 10 years of designing and delivering university training modules and Silvia's extensive touring experience, we offer a broad range of workshops alongside the show. The workshops can be tailored to specific needs. IMPROVISATION & PLAY FOR THE PERFORMER/DEVISER 3-6 hours: 8-26 people. We lead participants through a devising process involving improvisation with found elements and objects to generate material to be gradually coaxed towards the creation of structured performances. PUPPETRY - CONSTRUCTION & ANIMATION 3 hours - 3 days: 8-16 people. An introduction to different styles and techniques, including bunraku, glove, rod and marionette. SITE SPECIFIC WORK 4 hours - 3 days, 9-21 people. This workshop is designed to explore the use of public spaces as a theatrical set, where the action of the performance transforms the audience's perception of that public space. STORY MAKING 3-6 hours: 8-20 people. Using personal anecdotes, newspaper articles, and role play, the exercises combine written work, improvisation and the use of found objects to provide impetus for story making.

7 Marketing We prefer to work closely with venues to design a marketing campaign most suited to their particular audience, providing a variety of design ideas and promotional copy from which to select. The examples below include our run at the Edinburgh festival There is a Facebook group for the show where we create real time wall posts with links to audience feedback, reviews during the running of the show. We also encourage venues to create their own group and invite their own existing friend base to generate local interest. We are also building our follower base on twitter in order to generate discussion and interest in our work. Twitter is particularly useful in festival scenarios where traditional marketing loses impact due to the sheer quantity of shows on offer. Venues/festivals can tweet about the show using the #TAG#naivedancemasterclass tweet out links to reviews, audience feedback quotes and information about available time slots during the running of the show. Find out more about the company and the show at inconvenientspoof.co.uk

8 Contacts For more info please contact Silvia and Matt via on or call us directly: +44 (0) (Silvia) +44 (0) (Matt) or visit inconvenientspoof.co.uk All photos: Rosie Powell. Design: citrusdesign.me.uk