Home Projects Biography News Contact Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth - On tour from 2007 This collection of comedy works bring together Mary Oliver's last four short interactive works into a full scale show. Using CGI, chromakey, hi-definition video, and special effects, together these works expand the range of new technology brought to the live comedy experience. With an impressive array of performers; both real and virtual, and an internationally acclaimed crew, this composite of live action and tele-visual effects explode our idea of contemporary performance. 'Fly Me to the Moon', 'Almost', 'Wednesday, Wednesday' and 'Blue' each approach a different relationship of the human animal to the world and its surroundings in this age where we can no longer burp or fart without someone turning it a new television series. For booking details please Fly Me to the Moon 2006 In her most conceptually daring work so far, Mary Oliver performs with her CGI animated self, designed and animated by Mick Lockwood and featuring a soundscape by Christian Weaver. "Fly me to the moon" develops the relationship of the live and the digital to hilarious effect. We see the artist performing with her computer animated self in a black comedy which explores the Cartesian split taking place in live performance in this digital culture. Mary Oliver demonstrates this point clearly and seamlessly in this narrative of two Astronauts who find themselves struggling with an ageing space station. Technical problems are overshadowed by the more pressing problems of human waste and a dodgy waste disposal system. The piece asks the kinds of questions that we've all perhaps wondered about but never actually known the answers to: such as, what happens to cats in space, is sex safe and how do astronauts poo? Inspired by the writings of Francois Rabelais, and researched with the help of NASA and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) this is a truly virtual comedy. Previewed August 4th at ATHE 2006, Chicago, USA, Premiered September 2006, DRHA, Dartington College. Funded by Arts Council, Yorkshire, University of Salford, Vip Productions. Almost 2006 'Almost' is a story of a giant and a dwarf. Bound together for life, and fighting the imminent demolition of their home. This three dimensional post-modern fairytale with a sad ending, blusters on about white walls, gentrification and the evil forces that exist in the form of goblin-shite councils, with compulsory purchase orders. Starring Anthony Bessick as the giant and Lisa Moore as the dwarf, encased in an especially built house by artist Steve Gumbley and music by Matthew Wood, this Hi-definition composite video project brings to the stage, it's smallest ever performer. Audiences view the performance with the aid of opera glasses. Commissioned by Andrea Zapp for 'Storyrooms', multi-media show event, this new work premiered at the Mint Lounge, Manchester on May 10th 2006. Funded and Produced by Vip Productions, Arts Council, and University of Salford. Sponsored by the London Opera Glass company and Sumners Associates, Manchester. Wednesday, Wednesday 2005 This comedy double act sees Mary Oliver and Mary Oliver in a fast comic banter, with on screen Mary arguing for the right to perform as an equal. While live Mary, has to work doubly hard to keep the audience's view from the seductive television, by resorting to vaudeville, wide mouthed musical theatre and sexual innuendo to keep them looking her way. Inspired by Philip Auslander's commentary on Live performance in a mediatised age, this work explores the collapse between live and recorded performance. It set out to show that live doesn't have to be live, but explores the challenge that we face as creators of performance when in direct competition with popular media. Written and Performed by Mary Oliver and Directed by Rob Thirtle (Thunderbirds, Jerry Springer the Opera), filmed and edited by Sarah Atkinson, produced by Vip productions. This work premiered at PSI 2005, at Brown University, Rhode Island Performed at the Adelphi Studio, Salford and Transversalities Conference, Reading University, September 2005, ATHE, Sydney, Australia, July 2006. Funded by Arts Council Yorkshire, University of Salford and Vip Productions. Mother Tongue 2001 In Mother Tongue, Mary Oliver performed in synchrony with herself as her mother and three sisters. Run by a computer this was the first full scale theatre show to use Mpeg technology to deliver a live performance. This show explored the reasons why we speak like we do. With a Scottish mother and brought up on a council estate in East Kent, this family of 'mostly' girls, grew up with a sense of displacement, and a mother's desire to keep their Scottish roots alive, through language, story and song. This show brought such close family moments alive again and tried to explain how our voices are inextricably linked to our understanding of ourselves, or lack of it. Directed by Mark Whitelaw, (development) Mem Morrison (production), designed by Kathrine Sandys, technically supported by Adele Myers, edited by Gavin Weaver with support from Sumners Associates, Manchester. Showcased at the Sensitive Skin Festival, Nottingham 2001 Premiered at the ICA, London, November 2001 and performed at Alsager Arts, BAC, Scarborough Arts and Royal Exchange Studio 2002. Funded by the Arts Council, Yorkshire, Arts Council and Lottery National Touring Fund, Manchester Metropolitan University and produced by Vip productions. One two, one two, is that alright? A brief history of women's mouths and microphones 2000-2001 A multi-media stand-up routine, which explores the affect of mediatisation on the female voice. A swift journey through the last century, through a myriad of voices from popular music, film, politics and radio, with original quotes from interviews with Edwina Curry and Glenda Jackson. One Two, one two, is that alright? Tells the story of the development of the mediatised female voice over the last century. From Emmeline Pankhurst to Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland to Laurie Anderson, Gracie Fields to Madonna, this fast moving, tongue twisting stand-up explores the liberating force of the microphone on the liberation of women voice's from the site of their constraining bodies. This work premiered at PSI 2000, Arizona State University Performed at the Sensitive Skin International Performance Festival, Nottingham, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, A-lectro E-coustic club Manchester, Blah Blah Club, New York and Manchester Metropolitan University, 2000-2001. Produced by Vip productions. All contents ©opyright 2006