CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS?

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About

Lloyd Newson’s latest work, Can We Talk About This? deals with freedom of speech, censorship and Islam. The production premiered in August 2011 at Sydney Opera House, followed by an international tour. For dates and ticket information click here.

From the 1989 book burnings of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, to the murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh and the controversy of the ‘Muhammad cartoons’ in 2005, DV8’s production will examine how these events have reflected and influenced multicultural policies, press freedom and artistic censorship.

In the follow up to the critically acclaimed To Be Straight With You, this documentary-style dance-theatre production will use real-life interviews and archive footage. Contributors include a number of high profile writers, campaigners and politicians.

"The liberal fear of giving offence has simply
made it easier to take offence."
Kenan Malik, author of From Fatwa to Jihad

"It is very, very easy not to be offended by a book.
You just have to shut it."
Salman Rushdie

CO-PRODUCERS

Co-produced with Théâtre de la Ville and Festival d'Automne, Paris, National Theatre of Great Britain and Dansens Hus Stockholm.

CAST&CREW

CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY Lloyd Newson
ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR / COMPANY MANAGER Elizabeth Mischler
CHOREOGRAPHY Lloyd Newson and the performers
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT / CHOREOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS Ermira Goro, Hannes Langolf, Ira Mandela Siobhan
SET AND COSTUME DESIGN Anna Fleischle
LIGHTING DESIGN Beky Stoddart
VIDEO ARTIST Tim Reid

PERFORMERS Joy Constantinides, Lee Davern, Kim-Jomi Fischer, Ermira Goro, Hannes Langolf, Samir M’Kirech, Christina May, Seeta Patel, Anwar Russell, Ira Mandela Siobhan

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jamie Maisey
TECHNICAL STAGE MANAGER Tom Pattullo
STAGE Matt Davis
SOUND Eamon Walsh
LIGHTING Richard Godin / Ben Dodds
VIDEO PROGRAMMER / OPERATOR Declan McMonagle / Kathleen Powell
SET CONSTRUCTION Rocket Scenery
COSTUME ASSISTANT Ilona Karas

RESEARCHERS Lisa Martinson and Lloyd Newson with Ankur Bahl, Sheherzad Kaleem, Anshu Rastogi

INTERVIEW EDITING Ankur Bahl and Lloyd Newson with the company
PRELIMINARY SOUND EDITING Hannes Langolf with Rachel Phillips, Anshu Rastogi, Wendy Houstoun, Helena Arenbergerová
SOUND EDITING John Avery
HONEYFORD SOUND MIX Gareth Fry
VOICEOVER ARTISTS Shiv Grewal, Chetna Pandya, Bruno Roubicek

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Eva Pepper
OPERATIONS MANAGER Louise Eltringham
ADMINISTRATIVE CO-ORDINATOR Amy Jane Clewes

WEBSITE Feast Creative
PRESS CONTACT: Clióna Roberts
FINANCIAL SERVICES Nancy Rossi
COMANY ACCOUNTANTS Breckman & Co
COMPANY INSURERS Gordon & Co

REGULAR COMPANY TEACHERS Denzil Bailey, Raymond Chai, Kerry Nicholls, Lauren Potter, Patricia Rianne, Deborah Saxon, Vivien Wood
COMPANY VOCAL COACH Melanie Pappenheim
VOCAL TEACHERS Jacquie Crago, Barbara Houseman

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Andrew Barnett (Chair), Shreela Ghosh, Mark Godfrey, Kelly Johnson, Conor Marren, Kate Mayne, Lloyd Newson, Nick Nuttgens, Sita Popat

SOURCED MATERIAL
Tariq Ali/The Bandung File; BBC Worldwide Limited; Beeld en Geluid; Chameleon Television; Channel 4; Pat Condell; EUX.TV; Freemantle Media; Mehdi Hasan, Senior Political Editor, New Statesman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUuhD3TysRc ); Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates; ITN Source; Fil Kaler; Zyed Krichen; Mentorn Media; One Law for All; Orwell Trust; Press TV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF3V7r1iACw); United Nations, Information Service; 92nd Y Street Debate

MUSIC CREDITS
'3 x 2 (exit)', Composed and performed by Aix Em Klemm, Published by Lidmusic (BMI), Courtesy of Kranky, Ltd.; 'Zeros and Ones (Aphex Twin Reconstruction)', Performed by Jesus Jones, Written by Michael James Edwards, EMI Publishing; 'Ambelio' by Arovane; 'Solo', Composed and performed Ludovico Einaudi, Ponderosa; 'Tree Song', Performed by René Aubry, Lyrics : Carolyn Carlson, C and P 1988 HOPI MESA; 'Ausencia', Lyrics: Teofilo CHANTRE, Music: Goran BREGOVIC, © Universal Music Publishing / Africa Nostra; 'Chimeras', Composed and performed by Tim Hecker, Published by Tim Hecker (SOCAN), Appears Courtesy of Kranky, Ltd.; 'Slowmot', Written by K. VITA (aka Konstantinos Barbopoulos), Published by D-Version Music Publishing Ltd, Performed by K. Vita; 'Look After Yourself' by Last Days from the album "These Places are Now Ruins" on n5MD. www.lastdaysmusic.co.uk; 'Ek Bewafa Se Pyar Kiya', Performed by Lata Mangeshkar; 'Rorschach', Composed and performed by loscil, Published by Scott Morgan (SOCAN), Courtesy of Kranky, Ltd.; 'Thieves', Written and performed by Maserati, Courtesy of Temporary Residence Ltd.; 'Carbonated' by Mount Kimbie, Hotflush Recordings; 'Piano' (from 'My Last 10 Hours With You'), Written and performed by Jason Sweeney; 'Round & Round No.8, Green/Yellow' by Helen Ottaway, www.artmusic.org.uk; 'The Letter' by Pale 3. Composers: Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil, Publishing: X-Filme Creative Pool, Edition Kicking K, Edition PowerBlue; 'Patinage', Performed by Swod, written & produced by Oliver Doerell and Stephan Wöhrmann, taken from the album "Sekunden" (City Centre Offices, 2007), used with kind permission, www.city-centre-offices.de, www.sowd-music.de

We are grateful to the generosity of the individuals and organizations who have allowed us to use their experiences and contributions in the making of this work. For a full list of contributors and interviewees, please click here.

WITH THANKS TO Helena Arenbergerová, Stuart Briggs, Nicolas Fayol, Index on Censorship, The Institute of Ideas. Neil Jenson, Adrian Johnston, Oliver Manzi, Douglas Murray, Nicola Roodt, Devaraj Thimmaiah, David Thompson, Anton Skrzypiciel, Leanne Whitehead and Kate Champion of Force Majeure.

AWARDS

Argus Angel - 2012
Production of the Year (Tanz) - 2011/12
Helpmann Award (Best Ballet or Dance Work) - 2012