1981

The inaugural LIFT was staged in 1981, presenting 16+ companies from Brazil, Poland, Malaysia, Japan, France, The Netherlands, West Germany, Peru, and the UK.

Rose Fenton and Lucy Neal founded LIFT as young graduates from Warwick University, hoping to “challenge British theatre and open a window on the world”. The performances presented in the festival had never been seen in the UK before, and were experimental and political in nature.

Artists and companies

Lucho Ramírez- Cuatrotablas

Caminatas e Insomnios (Wandering and Sleeplessness) at ICA

Peru

Die Vaganten

Urfaust after Goethe at Tricycle Theatre

West Germany

Greta Chute Libre

Glâces (Mirrors) at Old Half Moon

France

Grupo de Teatro Macunaíma

Macunaíma at Lyric Theatre Hammersmith

Brazil

Het Werkteater

Zus of Zo (One of Them) at ICA

Netherlands

Suasana

Jentayu at Shaw Theatre

Malaysia

Tamagawa

Bekkanko - An Ogre at Tricycle Theatre

Japan

Teatr Ósmego Dnia (Theatre of the 8th Day)

More than Just One Life Oh, How Nobly We Lived at New Half Moon

Poland

Teatr Provisorium

It is Not for Us to Fly to the Islands of Happiness at ICA

Poland

Medieval Players, Natural Theatre, Ompholos, The Beach Buoys, and others

Street Theatre at Covent Garden Piazza, Paternoster Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields, the South Bank

UK

Forkbeard Fantasy, Lol Coxhill, Mike Westbrook and others

Festival Club at The Piccadilly Suite, Piccadilly Hotel

UK

Media