Frantic Assembly Explained

Frantic Assembly is a theatre production company. They have worked in over 40 countries and are widely studied as practitioners for A-Levels in the UK.[1] [2]

Background

Frantic Assembly was formed by three students of Swansea University in 1994. None of the three studied drama but were inspired by theatre and wanted to create their own unique company. They wanted to create non-realistic pieces through much movement and music, although they have always said this should never stray from the storyline.[3] [4]

Their most notable production, in cooperation with The National Theatre, is The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, which won a Tony award for Best Play in 2015. In 2016, Frantic Assembly collaborated with State Theatre South Australia and Andrew Bovell to create Things I Know To Be True. They toured Australia (2016) and the UK (2016 and 2017).

In 2018, Frantic Assembly launched a podcast with guest appearances from old-school teachers of Scott Graham, Simon Stephens and Karl Hyde from Underworld.[5]

!Production Name!Year Performed!Music By!Written By
Look Back In Anger1994John Osborne, adapted by Spencer Hazel
Klub1995Devised by Frantic Assembly
Flesh1996VariousDevised by Frantic Assembly
Zero1997N/ADevised by Frantic Assembly
Sell Out1998Michael Wynne
Hymns1999VariousChris O'Connell
Underworld2001VariousNicola McCartney
Tiny Dynamite2001VariousAbi Morgan
Heavenly2002VariousScott Graham, Steven Hoggett, Liam Steel
Peepshow2002LambIsabel Wright
Rabbit2003Deadly AvengerBrendan Cowell
On Blindness2004VariousGlyn Cannon
Dirty Wonderland2005GoldfrappDevised by Frantic Assembly, scripted by Michael Wynne
Pool (No Water)2006Imogen HeapMark Ravenhill
Stockholm2007VariousBryony Lavery
Othello2008HybridWilliam Shakespeare (edited by Scott Graham & Steven Hoggett)
Beautiful Burnout2010UnderworldBryony Lavery
Lovesong2011VariousAbi Morgan
Little Dogs2012HybridDevised by Frantic Assembly
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time2012A National Theatre Production based on the novel by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens
The Believers2014VariousBryony Lavery
No Way Back2015VariousDevised by Frantic Assembly
Things I Know To Be True2016Nils FrahmAndrew Bovell
This Will All Be Gone2017VariousDevised by Frantic Assembly
Fatherland2017Karl HydeScott Graham, Simon Stephens, Karl Hyde
The Unreturning2018Pete MalkinAnna Jordan
Sometimes Thinking2019UnderworldPhil Porter
I Think We Are Alone2020Ella WahlstromSally Abbott
Metamorphosis2023Stefan JanikLemn Sissay, based on the Novel by Franz Kafka

Notes and References

  1. News: Frantic Assembly . en . Theatre and Dance . 2018-03-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143058/https://theatreanddance.britishcouncil.org/artists-and-companies/f/frantic-assembly/ . 2018-06-12.
  2. Web site: Physical theatre. bbc.co.uk. 24 November 2016.
  3. Web site: About - Frantic Assembly .
  4. News: Frantic Assembly's Othello: 'You don't want to put people off Shakespeare forever'. Gardner. Lyn. 6 June 2015. The Guardian. 24 November 2016.
  5. Web site: Production - Frantic Assembly PodcastFrantic Assembly. Assembly. Frantic. franticassembly.co.uk. en. 2018-08-23.