Untied Artists present

For Their Own Good

Two knackermen, a horse, a gun and a tiny metropolis full of death. Can the way we kill animals teach us anything about our own demise? Moving and darkly comic theatre.

In collaboration with Arzhang Pezhman (text). Steve Johnstone (direction). Jack Trow (performance). Harry Trow (design/making). Claire Browne (design/making).

Our second Bitesize commission supported by:
Warwick Arts Centre
mac Birmingham
Bristol Ferment
China Plate Theatre
British Council
and Arts Council England

Can examining the way we kill animals tell us anything about how we deal with our own demise?

With unflinching honesty and an eerily detached workmanship, two knackermen investigate the pitfalls of being high up the evolutionary chain. While dispatching the sick, lame or just plain old their own mortality is suddenly and sharply brought into focus.

Combining documentary material from veterinary surgeries, farms, abattoirs, hospitals and homes with beautiful puppetry and new writing this show tells a moving and darkly comic tale about the only certainty in life. Death, how it’s become removed from us as a process, how maybe we should reclaim it.

A work intended for both black box studio theatres and site sensitive venues, the show deals with difficult, topical issues with a lightness of touch. It is funny, visually impressive and aims to be moving without being prescriptive.

 

What the press said...

'Truthful, complex and utterly unsentimental, and all the more moving and thought-provoking for that.'

'A brave piece, proving Untied Artists can tackle a controversial subject delicately but with artistic flair.'

'A visceral intelligence which holds us rapt.'

'An affecting play to the very end.'

'Astonishingly poignant...a rare energy and power.'

'A compassionate and accessible exploration of death’s role in our lives'

'A thought-provoking, well-researched, and genuinely interesting exploration on a subject rarely discussed - this is a company to look out for.'

'This challenging subject was explored sensitively, subtly and without a trace of morbidity.'

'An important piece of theatre...an enjoyable and powerful experience.'

'A deeply human story.'

'Profound.'

'Uniquely touching, affecting, and darkly comic.'

'Thoroughly engaging.'

Show Gallery...