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esperate Improvisations is a new, vibrant and incredibly imaginative play by Jan Hendrik Verstraten. On the 5th October 2005 Magic Factory and its collaborators had an opportunity to present extracts from it at the Cockpit Theatre, London. This play challenges both the actors and the audience by its unusual approach to acting. It raises uncomfortable questions regarding the creative process and how our fantasies can rule and dominate our lives, sometimes in a totally unpredictable way. Who is in charge—the writer, or his characters? As we discover through this play, quite often it's the latter.

With friendly assistance from the staff of the theatre and the playwright himself this short project became a very enjoyable and highly productive time for all people involved.

With the sponsorship of the Royal Dutch Embassy, and in association with Act Provocateur International, Magic Factory took this play to the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This was preceded by a short run at the Lion & Unicorn pub theatre in London.

What the press said...

A  writer (Tim Metcalfe-Wood) invites three friends, Greg, a young American sci-fi writer (Kevin Sherwani), Maurice, a fantasy writer (Charles Delaney) and Vera, an eccentric  artiste (brilliantly portrayed by Frederic D'Amore). Together they will come up with the  idea for a new play, but soon, the question arises: who is in charge, the writer or the  characters? When the four friends involve also two actors , Maureen (Natalie Louka) and  Emanuel (Shaun Nethercott) into their creative process, the situation appears to get out of hand and devolps on its own in a totally unpredictable way. This bitter-sweet story,  written by the Dutch playwright Jan Hendrik Verstraten and directed by the talented Georgian director Dimitry Devdariani is a must see! A beautiful, dream like story, full  of surprises and sudden turns, that never looses its relation to reality however and a  brilliant cast - don't miss it!  

Scene 4 Magazine

 
   

As performed at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre, Gaisforth Street, London NW5 between 2nd and 6th August 2006,
and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival between 13th and 28th August 2006.
Cast: Tim Metcalfe-Wood, Frederic D'amore, Kevin Sherwani, Charles Delaney, Natalie Louka and Shaun Nethercott.
Directed by Dimitri Devdariani.

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As performed at the Cock Pit Theatre, Gateforth Street, London NW8 on 5th October 2005.
Cast: Matthijs Dijkstra, Frederic D'amore, Alyn Phillips-Green, Michael Danvers-Walker, Gemma van Praugh and Howard Delmonte.
Directed by Dimitri Devdariani.

Press photographs available HERE