Visual storytelling at its finest, Ad Infinitum’s Last Rites is currently making its journey around the UK before arriving on Bristol Old Vic’s main stage this summer. Florence Grieve caught up with the Bristol-based company’s co-artistic director George Mann about its history, its commitment to championing authentic voices, and what we can expect from its latest production
Though today it’s a staple of Bristol’s arts and theatre scene, Ad Infinitum’s story began in London. The company was founded in 2007, shortly after co-artistic directors George Mann and Nir Paldi returned from Paris, where the pair had trained at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. George recounts the creative buzz he felt pulsing through the capital at the time, an energy that fuelled their first production, Behind the Mirror. And 18 years later, as George sits across from me at Bristol Old Vic where we’ve met, animatedly describing the journey so far, it’s clear this passion for creating compelling theatre is as strong as ever.
In the early days, the company worked one production at a time until it started to gain momentum. George tells me: “We went to Edinburgh Festival and we started to make a bit of a name for ourselves. Around 2009, we started to ask some more profound questions like, ‘What is this company? What do we stand for? What are we trying to do here?’ We started to understand more about ourselves as artists, where we wanted to go, what other types of artists we wanted to work with and what impact we wanted to have.”
It’s clear that the company has real heart and this ethos runs through everything it does. As George explains, Ad Infinitum is “a place where artists collaborate through devising but it’s also a place for artists that come from marginalised places like Nir and I do. We create a new space for that, that’s not just exciting and artistic and collaborative, but is also a safe space. A space where there is wellbeing baked in to what we do, a space where people feel supported and can do their best work.” Echoing the sentiment of his co-artistic director, Nir writes, “Collaboration is at the heart of what we do as an organisation and the sense of connectedness to other creatives within the arts community is a huge part of what keeps us going.”
Accessibility all areas
Just one example of this dedication to collaboration and supporting creatives across the industry, can be found in Ad Infinitum’s long history of working with Deaf artists. Notable collaborations include Light, and Extraordinary Wall [of Silence], the latter of which was made into a feature film for international screening. As a Deaf person myself, I’m keen to know how working with Deaf creatives has influenced and inspired how the company works.
George tells me how accessibility has become just part of what they do: “A lot of our shows integrate Deaf artists, featuring British Sign Language [BSL] and captions, and if they don’t, we create a BSL-integrated version of the show and provide captions, something we did for Beautiful Evil Things.”
In order to be able to enjoy the theatre, I know first-hand the importance of the industry adopting inclusive practices until it becomes the norm. And it is clear Ad Infinitum is committed to carrying the torch for access in the arts; George tells me how the company hopes to “normalise it [accessibility] and hopefully set an example to the rest of the sector.”
Another way in which the company’s approach has been influenced by these collaborations, is a recognition of the barriers and lack of opportunity for Sign Language Using theatre artists, in particular directors who are Deaf, in a hearing-dominated theatre sector. In response, Ad Infinitum consulted with five celebrated Deaf artists to produce a report, published in both written English and BSL, highlighting barriers to the industry, including lack of opportunities, and existing opportunities usually being brief with insufficient funding and resources.
Describing the consultation and co-design process George explains how “the outcome was a programme which meets artists’ needs because we asked them what they need.”
This programme, Changing Direction, has created the role of associate director, which is currently filled by theatre facilitator, director, writer and BSL storyteller Mary-Jayne Russell de Clifford. Another newly created role of Associate Artist has been set up to support a theatremaker from an underrepresented background, which will be originated by writer and performer Elisabeth Gunawan.
Of this, Nir writes: “Since 2020, in response to the challenges the sector has faced and continues to face, we embarked on two years of extensive consultation with freelance theatre makers, and a pilot working with two brilliant artists exploring the potential structure and aims for a new artist-led programme at Ad Infinitum.” It’s clear from both Nir and George that the company are excited to be offering opportunities which have been developed with artists, for artists.
Rites of passage
Our conversation turns to Ad Infinitum’s latest production Last Rites, which has been co-devised by George, and Scottish-Singaporean theatremaker and Deaf artist Ramesh Meyyappan. The duo’s creative partnership was 10 years in the making because, although they knew from their first meeting in 2010 that they wanted to work together, it took time for the opportunity to arise. But it was worth the wait. When they started the creative process, George recalls how “we connected around two personal themes, one was losing our dads and the other was that we’d both become dads.”
A non-verbal solo show, it tells the story of Arjun, a Deaf man who has to travel from the UK to India to perform his father’s funeral rights. He comes up against the challenge of performing an ancient Hindu practice that was never passed on because his father refused to learn sign language. We see Arjun grappling with how to say goodbye to his own father amidst the challenge of becoming a dad himself. The show stars Ramesh who performs as intergenerational characters throughout the performance, supported by projection, bass-heavy sound design and physical storytelling, as well as some BSL and creative captions, to create a piece that is accessible to Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing audiences.
As we chat about what audiences can expect from the production, there is only a brick wall separating us from where Last Rites will return from its national tour to enjoy a week long run later this year. As George gestures towards the Georgian auditorium, which has been home to many a critically-acclaimed performance, it is clear that this main stage billing is a milestone the company is rightly proud of. As George and Ramesh write: “We are delighted this piece will tour nationally to mid-scale venues, where historically underrepresented perspectives like those of our protagonist, Arjun, haven’t been given much stage time.”
And what is it that time in the spotlight will allow the production to impart to audiences? “We found ourselves creating a play that’s a universal human story, but through a Deaf perspective,” the pair write. “The experience of losing a parent and becoming one is hard to describe. Theatre feels like the right medium to explore this experience, a space that we hope will provoke audiences to think, connect, and share their own stories.”
It’s clear that what Ad Infinitum stands for can be found in its sense of connection woven throughout the company and its collaborations across the sector. As we are saying our goodbyes, George checks that even though it’s just him I’m meeting today, he won’t get all the credit, but he needn’t say more, throughout our conversation it’s been clear that Ad Infinitum is greater than the sum of all its parts, and this fuels a creativity which translates into the powerhouse performances we see on stage.
Last Rites arrives at Bristol Old Vic from 15-19 July; for tickets and more information visit bristololdvic.org.uk
