If you thought Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and the enforced spangles of Strictly Come Dancing were hard on their participants... consider those participants lucky and enjoying an extremely nice deal. At least they are not required to go through their "reality TV" motions in front of a live audience. Plucky international theatre company Zecora Ura's new show, in collaboration with Britain's longest running experimental theatre whizzes The People Show have put two actors on stage at the Oval House - and will keep them there all week. Don't Feed the Lions follows an extraordinary set of rules:
For 7 days and 7 nights, 2 actors will be confined on stage at the Oval House Theatre, London.
They are not allowed out of the theatre building until the last performance.
They sleep on stage but can only eat if the audience brings them food.
Any spare time between, meals, sleep and toilet will be rehearsal time for the Lions.
The energy required for the lights will be generated through a Cycle Generator on stage at all times.
1. The actors arrive on stage at 3pm on Sunday 11th of December 2005.
2. The actors are released at 10pm on Saturday 17th of December 2005.
3. The actors shall have one break per day of no more than 30 minutes.
3.1. During this break, the actors can:
Leave the stage, but not the theatre building;
Use the existing bathroom facilities of the building.
3.2. During this break, the actors cannot:
Buy any type of food or drink;
Step outside the theatre premises.
4. The actors shall undergo constant physical and mental experiments.
4.1. These may include 24h long rehearsals, interrogation and torture.
4.2. The aims of these experiments will become clearer during the production.
5. The actors must work creatively with all donated objects.
5.1. Rule 5 will not apply to objects that have not passed the safety regulations check.
Audience members can visit the Lions at feeding time which is 8pm every evening this week up to and including Saturday 17th December, on which night the Lions will be released. How do we know the Lions haven't escaped during the day and gone Christmas shopping via home and a quick shower, a few phonecalls, the repeat of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and maybe an early afternoon pint at the local? Because the stage / their cage will be filmed and broadcast to a screen in Oval House for all our voyeuristic and artistic extremist delight, for 24 hours, seven days of this week.
For more information and to book tickets, please go here. Please bring food, drink and props for the actors though be aware that strict health and safety regulations apply, so don't bother if you're thinking of bringing chainsaws, the leftover takeaway curry from last Friday or the stuff from the drip tray of your coffee machine.
