Manpower

Alister Lownie in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)

work, influence, impotence

Join Total Theatre Award winners Two Destination Language for a bumpy ride through men, expectations, work and economics in the 40 years since Britain voted to be part of Europe. 

Did you think it would be easy? Did you think it would be fair? Silent battles of power drive this punchy performance, set against an increasingly absurd political landscape. 

 As a British man and a European woman share the stage, music, wood and vinyl create a picture of England today and how it came to this.

A sharp and darkly humorous examination of modern British masculinity.

The Stage

Katherina Radeva in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)
Katherina Radeva and Alister Lownie in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)

★★★★

The Scotsman

clever, visually and musically impressive – the ideas are still spinning in my head.

Quiet Man Dave review

Alister Lownie building with wood in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)
Katherina Radeva and Alister Lownie in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)
Katherina Radeva sitting on logs in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)
Alister Lownie shifting a log in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)

credits

created and performed by Katherina Radeva and Alister Lownie

dramaturgy by Ben Francombe

lighting by Vince Field

carpentry by Dominic Eddington and David Lochhead

performance history

Development

Bristol Ferment, 23rd January 2014BAC Scratch, 1st February 2014New Wolsey Studio, 28 September 2014Salisbury Arts Centre, 3 October 2014Showroom, Chichester, 22 January 2015

Performances:

World Premiere: ICIA University of Bath, 6 February 2015derelict, Media Factory, Preston, 28 October 2015Arts Centre at Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, 29 October 2015The House, Plymouth, 17 February 2016The Lowry, Salford Quays, 10 November 2016Colchester Arts Centre, 16 November 2016Theatre Royal Winchester, 20 November 2016Jacksons Lane, London, 24-25 November 2016Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury 29 November 2016South Street Reading, 8 December 2016Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival, 8 June 2017ARC Stockton, 12 October 2017Slung Low Hub, Leeds, 15 October 2017Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 26-27 September 2018Tullynessle & Forbes Village Hall, 29 September 2018Lyth Arts Centre, 11 October 2018Beacon Arts, Greenock, 24 October 2018Platform Arts Centre, Glasgow, 25 October 2018Square Chapel, Halifax, 8 November 2018Attenborough Arts, Leicester, 9 November 2018Barnsley Civic, 10 November 2018Cambridge Junction, 21 November 2018Eastgate Theatre, Peebles, 28 November 2018Gulbenkian Theatre Canterbury, 30 January 2019Aberystwyth Arts Centre, 1 February 2019
Katherina Radeva and Alister Lownie in Manpower (photo by Alex Brenner)