I've really lucked out. I'm excited about absolutely everything.’ Marilyn Rice is the head of Learning and Participation at Frantic Assembly, covering Sharon Kanolik while she is on maternity leave – and there surely couldn't be a better time to be involved with the forward-thinking, trailblazing company: Frantic (as it's affectionately known) is about to celebrate its quarter-century anniversary.
Founded in 1994 by three students from Swansea University – none of whom studied any kind of arts-based subject – Frantic was established on the foundations of uniqueness, of experiment, and of movement. At the time it must have felt risky to establish a company without much prior experience, and in an industry that could be ruthless too – but the leap of faith paid off. Frantic has since become the go-to for authentic, boundary-nudging work. One of its most notable productions, The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time, in collaboration with the National Theatre, won a Tony Award.
So, a celebration is surely warranted – and indeed a celebration is to be had. Frantic has planned a whole year of festivities to mark its 25th year, including a world premiere of a new show co-directed by Kathy Burke and artistic director Scott Graham, a free weekend takeover of the National Theatre River Stage, a brand new website, the launch of Ignition for Women, and much more.
‘This is an incredibly exciting time,’ Graham said of the impressive programme. ‘But by far the most thrilling bit is the anticipation of what is still to come.’ Certainly, much of Frantic's success can be pinned to its ability to look ahead and adapt, always to evolve rather than sticking to one technique.
Going nationwide
When we speak, Rice is particularly excited by Frantic's plans to make theatre more accessible for schools, particularly those outside of London, something that she feels should be implemented by all theatre companies.
‘I Think We Are Alone, the play co-directed with Kathy Burke, is premiering in Plymouth next June. This is really exciting because we really are going nationwide. Things tend to be so London-centric, and instead we’re expanding our reach. We’ll be going to the Curve in Leicester, The Lowry in Salford, Bristol Old Vic, Nufield Southampton and Edinburgh. We’re really getting Frantic out there and hoping it's a brilliant opportunity for schools to come and see our work,’ she says.
Described on the Frantic website as ‘the centrepiece for the year’ I Think We Are Alone, written by Sally Abbott, is ‘a delicate and uplifting play about our fragility, resilience and our need for love and forgiveness’. According to Rice, there will be ‘a big resource pack’ available for teachers – and she tells me that Frantic is looking to incorporate elements of theatre production into those resources.
‘I'm very aware of what's needed at GCSE and A level in terms of students’ understanding of design elements. In these resources, we don't want to just look at acting and directing, but what actually makes a show. What are the other roles involved? How can we demystify the process of making a theatre production? How do the set designer, lighting technician and producer all come together?’
Digital resources
‘Things tend to be so London-centric, and instead we're expanding our reach’
Rice stresses how accessibility is at the core of Frantic's ethos. A former teacher herself, she says she's ‘been there’ when it comes to finding resources lacking. ‘I don't just want to see a show with my students. I want much more than that,’ she says. With this is mind, Frantic will be releasing several new online resources within their two strands of Learn (for students) and Train (for teachers and practitioners), and since Frantic is a core module on several exam boards, this is important work.
‘I appreciate that for teachers there is very little in terms of resources,’ Rice says when I ask about teachers who may be hesitant to cover Frantic's work in their classes, ‘Lessons require a lot of time for planning – which is why teachers do tend to go for the old favourites, such as Brecht and Stanislavski. But our digital resources – which include practical workshops and how to apply them to the classroom – mean that we will be able to reach teachers who might not be able to afford training, or who are limited geographically.’
Price is, of course, a huge factor when it comes to teacher training; many schools can no longer sign off on having their teachers away for a day, nor cover the costs of the training or travel. Similarly, for young people whose parents cannot afford expensive theatre tickets, options can feel very limited. This is why Rice is thrilled to tell me about Frantic's weekend takeover of the National Theatre River Stage in July.
‘Essentially, it's loads of free workshops – including an Astroboy demonstration, learning about the moves from Curious Incident that we did – plus free performances, including Sometimes Thinking, the forty-five-minute show we’re taking to Latitude Festival, and an opportunity to see Ignition for Women.’
Also on the line-up was an intense HIIT-style warm-up, drama games straight out of the Frantic rehearsal room, a mega mix of the company's productions over the past quarter-century, and even a DJ set.
‘There were so many ways for anyone of any age range to come and engage, and the great thing about it was that it was free,’ Rice says.
Ignition for Women
© HELEN MURRAY
Above: A Frantic Assembly ensemble in rehearsal for a production staged at the V&A Left: Performers rehearsing as part of Frantic Assembly's Ignition programme
After a trial run earlier this year, and following the continued success of Ignition, Frantic will also be rolling out Ignition for Women – and this year the age range has been broadened from 16-20, to 16-24. Ignition is the company's free movement and theatre project, and seeks out talent in unusual places – often in communities in which access to theatre is limited.
Rice tells me how the original Ignition found life: ‘It's in its eleventh year now, and it came about from Scott Graham realising in an audition many years ago that lots of females were coming into the room, but few males. He wanted to try and improve access for young men who may not really have thought about theatre or engaging with the arts, and give them a dedicated space.
‘The way we find our talent is by going around the UK, working with our partners, and offering high-energy Taster and Trial workshops. From those, we select 12 young people who will come together for a week-long intensive in London to create and then perform a show.
‘This year, because it's the twenty-fifth anniversary, we have launched Ignition for Women, following our pilot in March. People have been asking about it for years. It's a huge, brilliant opportunity for a real range of young people, and one of the big remits for it in terms of outreach is that it's about going nationwide and trying to find those people who probably have little or no access to the arts.’
It may have been a busy 25 years for the masterminds behind Frantic Assembly, but it seems as though there is much more to come. Other key events happening to mark the anniversary are a new website – which Rice tells me will have clear pathways to resources for teachers and students –and the return of the Frantic Assembly Podcast, presented by Graham and Jonnie Riordan, which will welcome an exciting line-up of special guests. There will also be three new archival projects, including a book, a playlist, and a film.
Details of the full line-up of activities, resources and productions can be found on the Frantic Assembly website.