Performance: Two to Tango

A live re-staging of Two to Tango from Issue #10 of Drawing Room Confessions [1]. Two to Tango [2] is an edited and annotated transcription of a conversation between Alexandre da Cunha [3] and Tango (Rivane Neuenshwander [4]), in which the two artists discuss the core process of creation in both their practices. For this performance actor Russell Tovey [5], alongside performers Christopher Howitt [6] and Michael Adams [7], will re-enact the transcribed discussion, including footnotes.

Drinks from 7pm.

Performance starts at 7.30pm.

FREE but booking essential.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Drawing Room Confessions is a printed journal named after a parlour game played by Marcel Proust, the Surrealists and others. Each book from the series uses exchanges and playful games to create a unique portrait of an individual artist. Five different sections: The Egoist, The Blind Man, Two to Tango, For the Time Being and La Madeleine, plus the occasional appearance of The Double Dealer and Ekphrasis, comprise the Rules of the Game, which are the same in each issue. What changes are the players, or interviewers, who open each round of conversation with the featured artist and who come from a wide range of fields. Each conversation is accompanied by complex referencing and citation that appear in the journal as an extensive set of footnotes. Drawing Room Confessions is Manuela Ribadeneira, Vincent Honoré, Benjamin Reichen, Michèle Smith, Sofia Lemos, Başak Tarman and Peter Meanwell. Design by Åbäke.

[2] Two to Tango is a chapter in each issue of Drawing Room Confessions in which the featured artist has a conversation with someone chosen by the journal editors, with the aim of interrogating, directly and honestly, the core processes of creation. The meaning of this idiomatic phrase, which originated in the song Takes Two to Tango, written and composed in 1952 by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning, is that certain activities require a partner and cannot be performed alone.

[3] Alexandre da Cunha is a Brazilian artist who grew up in Rio de Janeiro and now lives and works in London. At the centre of his work is a genuine interest in techniques and materiality to produce what he calls “the readymade with a twist”. Recent solo exhibitions include: MCA Chicago Plaza Project, Chicago, Illinois; Real, Galeria Luisa Strina, São Paulo (both 2015); Contratempo, Sommer & Kohl, Berlin; Alexandre da Cunha, Frieze New York (both 2013); Full Catastrophe, Thomas Dane Gallery, London; and Kentucky Pied de Poule, CRG Gallery, New York (both 2012).

[4] Rivane Neuenshwander is a Brazilian conceptual artist based in London who works with painting, photography, film, sculpture, installation and participatory actions. Her work tends to explore language, nature, the passing of time and the role of chance, control and collaboration. Recent solo exhibitions include: Children's Commission 2015: Rivane Neuenschwander, Whitechapel Gallery, London; Rivane Neuenschwander, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York (both 2015); Rivane Neuenschwander: mal-entendidos/misunderstandings, São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo; Quarta-feira de cinzas/Epilogue, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio (both 2014); and POST - The Order and the Method, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (2013).

[5] Russell Tovey is a film, television and stage actor best known for his leading roles playing ‘George Sands’ in fantasy TV comedy series Being Human, ‘Karl’ in the ITV comedy The Job Lot and the hit BBC3 comedy Him and Her. His numerous television credits include the critically acclaimed HBO series Looking, Jimmy McGovern’s Banished, the BBC TV mini-series Little Dorritt, Sherlock and Tony Basgallop BBC1 drama, What Remains. After starring in Alan Bennett’s 2004 play The History Boys, both at the National Theatre and on Broadway, he reprised his role of ‘Rudge’ in the 2006 film adaptation, directed by Nicholas Hytner. In 2012 he starred in Stefan Golaszewski’s, writer of Him & Her, stage play Sex With A Stranger at The Trafalgar Studios. Last year he starred in The Pass at The Royal Court.

[6] Christopher Howitt is a TV and theatre actor who trained at the BAFTA award winning Television Workshop. Recent performances include: ‘Ralph’ in Our Country’s Good, Leicester Curve, Leicester,(2015); ‘Guiseppe’ in All My Friends Are Superheroes, The Television Workshop, Nottingham, (2013); and ‘Bill’ in Hot I Baltimore, The Television Workshop, Nottingham, (2012). He has also appeared in the BBC TV series Doctors, (2014) and Led Astray, (2013), and most recently the ITV comedy The Job Lot (2015).

[7] Michael Adams is an actor with experience in immersive theatre. Recent theatre credits include: ‘Sergeant Match’ in What the Butler Saw with Talking Scarlet, Brighton, (2015); ‘Ken’ in House, a site-specific assemble theatre work produced by Brighton Laboratory with Circa 69, Brighton (2015); the title role in Macbeth, a 24 hour production staged in Balfron Tower by RIFT, (2014); ‘Mr Shadrack’ in Billy, Union Theatre, London, (2013); and ‘Antonio’ in an intimate pop-up staging of the Tempest in a vacated shop in East London (2012), produced by RETZ. He also performed in Hum, a live work by artist Leah Capaldi for Art14 Art Fair, London (2014).