Rotozaza

Rotozaza is a performance company based in UK formed in 1998, composed of Anthony (Ant) Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali. They are known primarily for their instructional works for headphones where the audience perform the piece themselves for each other. The term Autoteatro was coined by Hampton and Mercuriali to describe this approach to their performance practice. Rotozaza pieces include Etiquette, GuruGuru, Wondermart and Romcom.

Rotozaza's international work is supported by the British Council.[1]

Background

Following several years work involving different performers for each event (who would agree to follow instructions given to them live, via different means), they began making shows where the audience, following instructions via headphones, would end up performing the show themselves, for each other. Their first show to function like this, Etiquette, was originally conceived of in 2001 as a proposal for the London International Festival of Theatre, but the idea was shelved until late 2006. Etiquette continues to tour worldwide, having been re-edited in twelve languages.

The name comes from a series of kinetic sculptures and performances by Jean Tinguely. Hampton chose the name due to the multidisciplinary nature of Tinguely's Rotozaza series and for how the word sounds. Tinguely and Hampton also share a birthplace (Fribourg, Switzerland).

Performances
  • [THE TUNE SHE WHISPERED] - by Ant Hampton, with Joseph Alford and Natalija Pocuca - 1998, Theatre Antibea, Antibes, France.
  • [DUE] - by Ant Hampton, with Fausto Bernardinello, Valentina Colorni and Silvia Mercuriali (outdoor/promenade/site-specific) - 1999, Deposito Bulk, Milan
  • [BLOKE] by Ant Hampton and Sam Britton - Théâtre de l'Echangeur, Paris, Nov 1999
  • project [BUS] by Ant Hampton and Sam Britton - 2000, Church Street, Stoke Newington Festival, London
  • [NEXT] - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali with Fausto Bernardinello and Alexandre Archenoult - 2000, Théâtre de Fortune, Paris
  • [GRACE] - by Ant Hampton, Zhana Ivanova and Silvia Mercuriali - Feb 2001, Lion and Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town, London - 3 week run
  • MISS[1]TAKE, - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali with Icarus, March 2001, Milan, Italy - short film premiered at the LUX CINEMA, HOXTON SQUARE, in London, 2001 March
  • [WORLD SERVICE] - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali in collaboration with over 60 artists - June 2001, Abney Park Cemetery, commission from Stoke Newington Festival, London - 2 nights.
  • [BURST] - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali - performance/installation for LONDON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THEATRE (L.I.F.T.), June 2001, on board HMS President, London. and Schadenfreude Festival, Arcola Theatre, London 2002
  • [TAKE IT, TAKE IT] - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali in collaboration with Icarus, Alexandre Archenoult and Gaëlle Bona for Edinburgh Festival 2001 - 3 week run, 18 outdoor performances in St Cuthbert's Churchyard/ Lothian Road.
  • [HARPOON] - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali with Gaëlle Bona and Zhana Ivanova - November 2001, Theatre de l'Echangeur, Paris - 3 nights
  • [ZEROVILLE...] - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali with Gaëlle Bona and Britt Hatzius - Feb/March 2002, SHUNT arches, Bethnal Green, London - 6 nights
  • [CLOAKROOM DEPOSITS] - by Ant Hampton and Britt Hatzius - performance / installation in an underground cloakroom, Stoke Newington Festival 2002, Stoke Newington Festival 2002, London
  • [MASS MOMENT] - by Ant Hampton with Matt Rudkin - performance, Stoke Newington Town Hall - Stoke Newington Festival 2002, London
  • [DAMAGE JOY] - by Ant Hampton with Gaëlle Bona and Fred Labbé - Schadenfreude Festival, Arcola Theatre, London 2002
  • [FOR MUSIC] - by Ant Hampton with Gaëlle Bona, Nick Daniel, Dan Jones, Odelia Lavie, Silvia Mercuriali, Neil Saffer and Davina Silver, in collaboration with various musicians, November 2002, 291 Gallery, London
  • ROMCOM - by Ant Hampton and Glen Neath - 2003–presented in various countries.
  • PUNTA 1 - by Ant Hampton - Stoke Newington Festival 2003, London
  • DOUBLETHINK - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali, with Neil Bennun - 2004 - 2007–presented in various countries.
  • OOFF - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali - 2004 - 2005–presented in various countries.
  • PUNTA 2 - by Neil Bennun, Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali, for Escrita Na Paisagem land art festival, Monsaraz, Portugal - 2004
  • PUNTA 3 - by Ant Hampton and Sam Britton, with Gaëlle Bona - Palast der Republik, Berlin (2004)
  • FIVE IN THE MORNING - by Ant Hampton, Greg McLaren, Silvia Mercuriali and Melanie Wilson - 2005 - 2007–presented in various countries.
  • ETIQUETTE - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali - 2007 - ongoing - presented in various countries
  • WONDERMART - by Silvia Mercuriali with Matt Rudkin and Tommaso Perego - 2009 - ongoing - presented in various countries
  • GURUGURU - by Ant Hampton with Sam Britton (Isambard Khroustaliov) and Joji Koyama - 2009 - ongoing - presented in various countries

Notes
  1. http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-performanceinprofile-2009-british_council-rotozaza.htm
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