HALF MAN || HALF BULL
- A NEW THEATRICAL ALBUM
2 Ancient Myths || 20 Original Tracks || 2 Brand New Albums
Theatre makers release a double narrative led album to be experienced at home.
Fusing spoken word, electronica and soulHALF MAN || HALF BULL retells two interlinking ancient myths - Theseus & The Minotaur and Daedalus & Icarus. It’s a brand new work with a physical design from Lydia Denno, to be sent in the post and experience in your own home.
Created by Phil Grainger, Alexander Wright and Oliver Tilney, HALF MAN || HALF BULL follows hot on the heels of Wright (The Flanagan Collective) and Grainger’s (Gobbledigook Theatre) internationally award winning shows ORPHEUS, EURYDICE and THE GODS THE GODS THE GODS. Like so many companies, The Flanagan Collective & Gobbledigook Theatre postponed their 18month international tour last March and flew home to North Yorkshire. A year later, a brand new work is about to drop.
School friends Phil Grainger and Alexander Wright have found great acclaim over the last few years with their enthralling brand of spoken word and live music, packing rooms across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Bali and transferring to New York. Now, teaming up with long time collaborator Oliver Tilney, the trio have created a brand new piece of work -
HALF MAN || HALF BULL - designed to be experienced at home.
‘From the get go, we wanted to make a new piece of work that wasn’t contingent on being performed live’ says Tilney, who first brought the idea to Alex & Phil in June 2020. ‘We didn’t want a watered down version of something to give to audiences, we wanted to create a new piece of work in its correct form. For us, that form is a narrative led album.’
The trio have partnered up with some brilliant organisations to bring the idea to life. Partnering with Theatr Clwyd, Slung Low, Rural Arts, The Barn Theatre amongst others, it’s clear there’s an appetite for this type of work.
‘We started talking with our brilliant pals at Streatham Space Project, where we managed to bring a socially distanced version of EURYDICE in September’ explains Wright. ‘It quickly became clear there would be an appetite for a theatre, or an organisation, to be able to deliver content to their audience whilst people couldn’t gather in a more traditional setting.’
A successful Arts Council Project Grant allowed the team to grow.The trio have collaborated with producers, designers and host of musicians to realise this project, alongside a brilliant family of theatres, venues and partner organisations. After years of touring, lockdown has provided an opportunity to create and develop.
‘Alex and I have been writing and touring shows for a while, with an ambition to grow our sound. This felt like a great opportunity to work with more people, collaborate with more artists and, crucially, create some work for as many freelancers as we could afford’ explains Grainger. That team includes Aminita Francis from BAC BeatBox Collective; Zimbabwean born musician Tendai Humphrey Sitima; acclaimed designer Lydia Denno; and project producer Charlotte Bath. ‘We were also able to spend a lot of time at Crooked Room studios working with Isaac McInnis, which really helped grow the sound. It’s crucial that as this is an audio project, that it sounds flipping great.’
The project is designed as an At-Home experience. If you buy, you’ll get a physical pack through your door with artwork, listening instructions and an invitation to step back out in to the real world. HALF MAN || HALF BULL is an epic storytelling adventure for our time.
For all information and to buy the albums, head to HalfManHalfBull.com
FB / @halfmanhalfbull
INSTA /@halfmanhalfbulluk
Here’s a snippet of each album.
To request the full work to review, please email info@halfmanhalfbull.com.
GLOBAL RELEASE DATE 9th MARCH
Created & Performed by Phil Grainger, Oliver Tilney and Alexander Wright
Guest Artist (Theseus) - Aminita Francis
Guest Artist (Daedalus) - Tendai Humphrey Sitima
Project Producer - Charlie Bath
Music Producer - Isaac McInnis
Designer - Lydia Denno
Recorded & Mixed - Isaac McInnis at Crooked Room Studios
Mastering - David Lawrie
Additional Music - Frances Bolley, Tom Figgins, Isaac McInnis, Emile Ryjoch and Gavin Whitworth
Additional Dramaturgy - Megan Drury
Additional Voices - Angie Alle, Hille Auvenin, Joanna Bongowska, David Calvitto, Laura Darling, Megan Drury, Inês Sampaio Figueiredo, Peter Groom, Lucas Jones, James Lawrence, MJ Lee, Iona McInnis, Marnie Silver, Jess Zilleson.
With thanks to Angie Alle, Anikdote, Darren Lee Cole, James Dale, Megan Drury, Luke Langley, Serena Manteghi, Helen Simpson, Michael Slater, Simon Victor, Paul & Maggi Wright.
Made with: At The Mill, Birmingham Hippodrome, NEAT, November Club, Rural Arts, Slung Low, SoHo Playhouse, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Storyhouse, Streatham Space Project, The Barn Theatre, Theatr Clwyd, Theatre Deli, The Place, The Roses Theatre
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For all press enquiries, preview copies and all other stuff please contact Alexander Wright
alexander@theflanagancollective.com / 07828879852