Forced Entertainment: End Meeting For All

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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End meeting for All

15 May-30 June 2020

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Forced Entertainment: End Meeting For All
Image courtesy of Forced Entertainment.
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Created in April during the Coronavirus lockdown, Forced Entertainment’s End Meeting For All is a fragmentary online work in three short episodes.

Each episode runs for 25 minutes and has been recorded in a single live take across six screens of a Zoom meeting with the performers improvising, reacting and interacting from distant locations in Sheffield, London and Berlin. These completed episodes are now available to view on YouTube.

We’ve all become more familiar with Zoom during the lockdown…and whether you love or hate the video conferencing platform, End Meeting For All is probably the most entertaining Zoom call you will have during the pandemic. The grid of screens lends itself perfectly to this perceptive and comically unsettling performance. Brilliantly reflective of current times, the performers are plagued by technical difficulties and artistic misunderstandings.

Excavating comic chaos from complete isolation despair – Claire Marshall, Cathy Naden, Terry O’Connor, Robin Arthur, Richard Lowdon and Tim Etchells – are stuck in a world where the lockdown appears to have been going on for a very very very very long time. Cue bad wigs, skeletons, fake tears, frozen screens, smeared make-up, interruptions by dogs…and lots of gin.

Forced Entertainment have been at the forefront of new developments in theatre and performance for 35 years, and are renowned internationally for pushing the boundaries of contemporary theatre, this project sees the company turn their eye for collage, fragmented narrative and innovation towards video. Multi-layered improvisation, gradual repetitions and breakdowns all provide a reflection on the strange state of lockdown, and the wider anxieties that have surfaced during the pandemic.

Bringing absurd wit and brilliant humour, despite each performers’ infinite state of isolation, End Meeting For All is compelling viewing. If only all Zoom meetings were this entertaining…

Looking for more unmissable culture during the lockdown? Be sure to check out our guide to the top online things to do in Manchester and the North.

Where to go near Forced Entertainment: End Meeting For All

Leeds
Gallery
The Sculpture Gallery

The Sculpture Gallery is an outstanding new gallery, of pure sculpture, showcasing the work, not only of the six owners but guests also.

A club bedroom at Malmaison Leeds
Leeds
Hotel
Malmaison Leeds

Malmaison Leeds is a historic and dramatic building, full of character and individual style. Beautifully refurbished quirky bedrooms with power showers, blackout curtains and great beds.

On The Wall is a funky independent shop that sells a wide range of creative and artistic items including, posters, art prints, canvases, greeting cards and merchandise/gifts. They also offer a bespoke framing and canvas printing service and a screen printed t- shirt service. If you are looking for something more unique and inspiring they also sell work by local artists.
Leeds
Shop
On The Wall

Bright, bold and full of character, On the Wall pairs expert framing with prints, posters and gifts inside Leeds Corn Exchange.

Leeds
Restaurant
Canned Heat

Canned Heat is an independent bottle-shop & bar in the heart of Chapeltown, Leeds. Born out of a passion for Music, Art and Community.

Chorlton
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Yane

Friendly neighbourhood restaurant in Chorlton, specialising in authentic Japanese cuisine such as donburi, katsu kare and traditional pickles, made in-house.

Creatures Comedy Club
Manchester
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Creatures Comedy Club

Whether you’re a die-hard comedy fan or just after a spontaneous night out, there’s something here for everyone. Open 7 nights a week.

The Loft
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The Loft

The Loft is an intimate, industrial-style club tucked away on the edge of Manchester city centre. Known for its impeccable sound system and low-key vibe.

Stables Tavern
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Stables Tavern

The Stables Tavern is an olde style pub in the St John’s neighbourhood of Manchester, where the Rovers Return once stood.

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