Trestle Theatre
Trestle Arts Base
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| Founded | 11 July 1981 |
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| Founder | Sally Cook, Alan Riley and Toby Wilsher |
| Type | Theatre Company |
| Focus | Mask and physical theatre both professionally and in the community |
| Location |
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| Website | Official website |
Trestle Theatre Company is a professional theatre company specialising in mask and physical theatre. Currently based in a renovated chapel in the city of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England, the company creates its own masks, performances, workshops and training, sending the masks nationally and internationally.
Trestle Theatre Company was founded in 1981 by Sally Cook, Alan Riley and Toby Wilsher, three graduates from the BA Performance Arts course of Middlesex Polytechnic, and the support of John Wright, their course leader. Their initial plan was to tour the country with a pop-up trestle stage at markets and local fairs, following the blueprints of many internationally renowned Commedia Dell'Arte groups (hence the name trestle). However, this mode of performance proved impractical, but the name stuck to symbolize the group's original ambitions. Joined later by Joff Chafer, the company continued to tour nationally, and eventually internationally, and develop its distinctive story telling style: combining mask, physical theatre and puppetry.
Trestle's strength came from its touring work; not just touring festivals and theatres nationally, but travelling internationally, visiting 17 countries in the first 10 years. Trestle's first few shows were produced in full helmet mask, most successful were the trilogy of shows looking at the trials of growing up: Crèche, School Rules and Hanging Around (later all three were to be all included under the name Hanging Around) and had several revivals, touring for 12 years after their initial production. Trestle's touring has continued beyond the early nineties, the majority of the shows visiting the width and breadth of the nation, and continuing their ambition to tour internationally, adding countries such as Uzbekistan, America, Canada, Ecuador and most recently touring an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen around India.
In April 2002 the touring company set up home in the Hill End Hospital Chapel, a refurbished chapel of the old psychiatric hospital and one of 4 buildings deigned suitable for continued use. In 2004 artistic director, and founding member, Toby Wilsher left Trestle Theatre to work as a freelance director and writer and Emily Gray was placed in the role. Since the new directorship, Trestle have continued to evolve their physical storytelling techniques past mask work in an effort to expand their repertoire and establish themselves within their new venue.
Between 2007 and 2009 Trestle collaborated with three international companies to share techniques:
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