FlipFest presents: 'No Artificial Colours' from page to stage!

Alice Phillips
Mar 3, 2015
2 min read

No Artificial Colours is a new piece of writing as part of the FlipFest 2015, partly adapted from the book ‘Just Checking’ by Emily Colas. The play follows the journey of Niamh, she’s young, bold and has big ambitions. Whilst leading a normal life, she battles with trying to keep her obsessive compulsive thoughts under control. Struggling to gain control, she starts to push those who are closest to her further away. Through Niamh’s different neurotic stage of her life, we see her uncover for better and for worse, slowly but surely becoming a slave to her own hobbies, starting to realise the consequences of hiding her torment.

Niamh carries out everyday situations that can be affected by O.C.D, and the melancholic stress that can follow as a result. Four actors (Sasha Humphreys, Alex Staff, Stephanie Warden and Caroline Bleakley) explore the wasted energy from such small ideals, that Niamh has manipulated within her mind. Also exploring the extent of spending too much time in your head and the consequences.

The story is told through an ongoing movement ensemble, that we have physically devised throughout the script. The actors use gestural movement, choral work, and repetitive rhythms to bring to life the erratic mind process of someone suffering with O.C.D, looking closely at the anxiety, stress and confusion that this triggers.

“We wanted to explore the fine line between normality and insanity, how someone can think as though they’ve lost their mind but are still able to be rational.” says Nicole Gowns, who is joint director/writer/deviser of the physical theatre piece.

Come watch as we uncover Niamh’s achingly honest chronicle of her twisted journey, in our physical and visual exploration into the mind of an obsessive compulsive. Friday 20th March, (10:45am and 2:15pm in the Theatre, Joe H Makin centre, Pilgrim Street, Liverpool.)

By Alice Phillips

(Joint Writer/Director/Deviser)

Rehearsal pictures: