The Making of Pinocchio

Join two artists on a fantastical journey through a real-life story as they make a new version of Pinocchio.   

Set in a film studio crafted from real wood, and fake wood, and real fake wood, you are invited to go behind the scenes of Cade & MacAskill’s creative process and their relationship, and question what it takes to tell your truth.  

Artists and lovers Rosana Cade (they/them) and Ivor MacAskill (he/him) have been creating The Making of Pinocchio since 2018, alongside and in response to Ivor’s gender transition. In this theatrical and cinematic spectacular, their tender and complex autobiographical experience meets the magical story of the little lying puppet who wants to be a ‘real boy’.  

With a rich scenography designed by Tim Spooner (he/him), layered with sound by Yas Clarke (he/they), lights by Jo Palmer (she/her) and cinematography from Kirstin McMahon (she/her), the show constantly shifts between fantasy and authenticity, the playful and the political, humour and intimacy, on stage and on screen.   

The Making of Pinocchio joyfully embraces the importance of imagination in queer worldmaking and the idea of transness as a state of possibility that can trouble fixed perspectives and inspire change.  

LIFT, Artsadmin and BAC are thrilled to present the UK-premiere of this captivating, sexy and intimate new work that will receive its UK premiere in London ahead of a series of national and international dates.  

The Making of Pinocchio was initially designed as a special one-off digital performance, filmed in one take at Tramway (Glasgow) and first streamed online at Take Me Somewhere Festival (May 2021). The digital performance will be available on the LIFT website from 29 June – 10 July for audiences who have barriers preventing them from attending physically. 

CREDITS

Commissioned by Fierce Festival, Kampnagel, Tramway & Vooruit with support from Attenborough Centre of the Arts, Battersea Arts Centre and LIFT.

Produced by Artsadmin.

Funded by Creative Scotland, Arts Council England and Rufolf Augstein Stiftung with development support from The Work Room/Dianne Torr Bursary, Scottish Sculpture Workshop, National Theatre of Scotland, Live Art Development Agency, Gessnerellee, Mousonturm, Forest Fringe, West Kowloon Cultural District & LGBT Health & Wellbeing Scotland. Presentation support from Royal Victoria Hall Foundation.

Created and performed by Rosana Cade & Ivor MacAskill
Set, Prop & Costume Designer: Tim Spooner
Sound Designer: Yas Clarke
Lighting Designer & Production Manager: Jo Palmer
Camera Operator and performer: Jo Hellier

Cinematographer: Kirstin McMahon
Producer: Mary Osborn for Artsadmin
Technical Stage Manager: Sorcha Stott-strzala
Outside Eye: Nic Green
Captioning: Collective Text; Emilia Beatriz, Daniel Hughes with Rosana Cade, Yas Clarke, Ivor MacAskill, and Jamie Rea
Photography: Christa Holka
Post Production: Anna Fernandes

Access Information

• The performance is 90 minutes long
• There is no interval
• The performance space has step-free access
• All performances are Relaxed this means you can move or make noise if you need to and can go in and out of the performance space
• All performances are captioned, including descriptions of the sound and music
• The performance on July 1^st will be audio described by Dot Howard
• Latecomers will be permitted
• Ear defenders are available for anyone who might find these useful
• There is an accessible toilet on every floor of the building
• There is a chill out space outside the performance space that is available anytime the building is open