The Untethered Joke

The Untethered Joke

... was created and performed with Hannah Ringham following a residency curated by theatre company Action Hero entitled Do You Want To Be My Wingman. The residency allowed artists who had never worked together but wished to, to have dedicated creative play time with each other. The residency took place in February 2020 at the now defunct Dartington College of Arts.

During COVID lockdowns, Hannah and Sue, under the mentorship of Maiko Yamamoto of Theatre Replacement, continued to meet online to develop their ideas and, successfully apply for Arts Council England funding. Work-in-progress performances took place at Camden People’s Theatre in 2021 and Cambridge Junction as part of the DISRUPT! Festival in 2022 however the trajectory of the work was interrupted by breast cancer (Sue) and bereavement (Hannah).

‘The Untethered Joke’ a dirty protest; demanding, cajoling and refusing. A performance that involves hurling autobiographical crumbs, declarations of love, elite conversation, jokes and poems from mountain tops of their own making. It is a pas-de-deux, a double act, a tete-a-tete, a call to arms and a call to tea. It is about loyalty, cruelty and endeavour and is performed by two fools taking on the world and each other.

..sensual delight (and) an encounter with rigorous intelligence...

Maddy Costa, Exeunt Magazine, December 2021