Jeu Jeu la Foille's Frontal Lobotomy
Visual Theatre and Poetry, heavily under the influence of Tom Waits, and with a smattering of weird science
See the trailer here
See an extract here
Buy the book here
Bold, witty, and surreal, burlesque maverick Jeu Jeu la Foille fuses original beat poetry with the tormented lullabies of Tom Waits; punctuated with scientific accounts of perhaps the biggest error of judgment in medical history – the transorbital lobotomy. Dreamlike, passionate, and sometimes ridiculous; a dance through the woozy mythology, skewed narrative and embellished truths in the melancholic, irreverent world of Waits. Raising questions on differing attitudes towards mental illness, the various coping mechanisms, and with a unique blend of form and style -expect gruff puppetry, beatnik burlesque, spoken word, and a toyshop orchestra of musical reprobates.
The show debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, and secured Arts Council funding for a subsequent tour.
The 2017 tour was launched at The Cavendish Arms, London on December 4th 2016.
'Frontal Lobotomy' was nominated for the Best New Writing Award at Buxton Fringe Festival 2017.
Visual Theatre and Poetry, heavily under the influence of Tom Waits, and with a smattering of weird science
See the trailer here
See an extract here
Buy the book here
Bold, witty, and surreal, burlesque maverick Jeu Jeu la Foille fuses original beat poetry with the tormented lullabies of Tom Waits; punctuated with scientific accounts of perhaps the biggest error of judgment in medical history – the transorbital lobotomy. Dreamlike, passionate, and sometimes ridiculous; a dance through the woozy mythology, skewed narrative and embellished truths in the melancholic, irreverent world of Waits. Raising questions on differing attitudes towards mental illness, the various coping mechanisms, and with a unique blend of form and style -expect gruff puppetry, beatnik burlesque, spoken word, and a toyshop orchestra of musical reprobates.
The show debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, and secured Arts Council funding for a subsequent tour.
The 2017 tour was launched at The Cavendish Arms, London on December 4th 2016.
'Frontal Lobotomy' was nominated for the Best New Writing Award at Buxton Fringe Festival 2017.
Show Information
Length
50 minutes with no interval
Set up time for full length show: 10 minutes
Clear up time for full length show: 10 minutes
Extract Version
15 minutes
I usually operate my own sound, and incorporate the clear up into the piece.
Set up time: 5 minutes
Technical
Solo performance, small-scale touring theatre: Space required is minimum of 3 metres wide and 2 metres deep.
Set required: 1 chair.
Lighting: 1 mid-show black out required, practical (desk light) onstage, so an electricity source and extension lead required. Can be modified for different venues.
Sound: 6 cues, tech script provided. Sound can also be operated by the performer if the speaker connection allows the ipad to be close to the performance space.
2017 Tour Dates
Wednesday 18th January, Le Chien Noir Cabaret for Mental Health, The RVT, London
Sunday 29th Janauary, The Albany, London
Wednesday 1st - Sunday 5th February, Gatsby’s Bar, Vault Festival, London
Thursday 16th February, Crowd of Favours, Leeds
Friday 3rd March, The Albany as part of Luscious Cabaret
Monday 13th March, Theatre in the Pound, Cockpitt Theatre, London
Sunday 2nd April, Bawdsville’s Other Fools, London
Saturday 8th April, The Beehive, London
Thursday 27th April, The Cavendish Arms, London
Sunday 14th May, Chaplin's Cellar Bar, Boscombe
Friday 19th-Saturday 20th May, Brighton Fringe, Bar Broadway, Brighton
Sunday 4th June, The Railway, Winchester
Saturday 24th June, All in the Mind Festival, Basingstoke
Sunday 2nd July, The Alternative Hat Fair, The Railway, Winchester
Saturday 8th July, Manchester Fringe, Gulliver's, Manchester
Friday 14th July, Guilford Fringe Festival, The Star Inn (Back Room), Guildford.
Saturday 22nd July, Buxton Fringe Festival, The Green Man Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Buxton
Tuesday 31st October, Andover College
2018 and 2019 Gigs
Saturday 7th April 2018, FAP in the Attic, The Railway, Winchester
Saturday 26th May, Cafe Reflections, Southampton
Sunday 7th October, DICE Festival, Camden People’s Theatre, London
Saturday 27th October, HYG Performance Nights, London
Saturday 2nd February 2019, FAP with Friends in the Attic, The Railway, Winchester
Tuesday 19th February, The Cabaret Project, Chaplins Cellar Bar, Boscombe
Saturday 1st June, FAP with Friends in the Attic, The Railway, Winchester
Friday 28th June, Moving Voices, The Art House, Southampton
Wednesday 10th July, Clout! Festival, Studio 3 Arts, London
Saturday 24th August, Derailed Summer Special, Winchester
Thursday 31st October, Write a Note, Southampton
2020 - 2023 Gigs
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th February 2021, Studio Jeu Live Stream
Sunday 14th February 2021, Valentine's Day Mascara (Online)
Saturday 2nd April 2022, Theatre Royal, Winchester
Friday 10th February 2023, Moving Voices, The Art House, Southampton
Sunday 2nd July, Portsfest,The Gunwharf Keys and The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Press from the Edinburgh Fringe debut run 2016 at the Laughing Horse Free Festival
The Upcoming
“Featured in The Ten Most Highly Anticipated Shows of the Fringe: Burlesque babe Jeu Jeu la Foille interestingly commingles original spoken word with the tantalising musical work of Tom Waits to create an intoxicating, sultry spectacle.”
FringeReview
“There’s a delicate cheekiness in the air. It’s a mix of disarming innocence, a coy smile and a theatrical wink which keeps you constantly intrigued… It immediately tickles your funny bone, letting you sit back and savour the formality being traduced…. Tying together the themes is a running soundtrack/soundscape of Tom Waits, either playing live (archly and hilariously mimed by Jeu Jeu in a hastily donned slouch hat – the arrival of her band is a treat – or Waits appearing as a puppet, manipulated by her, smoking a cigarette…”
Three Weeks
“Creative and engaging… La Foille clowns her way through burlesque and passionate prose – surely this is how every poetic anthology wishes it could be presented?”
The Scotsman
“Clever, controlled, accessible yet fantastical – and the whole thing is held together by La Foille’s relaxed and assured stage presence.”
Press from the 2017 Tour
Theatre Bubble, February http://www.theatrebubble.com/tag/jeu-jeu-la-foille/
Buxton Fringe, July https://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/reviews2017the.html
http://buxton.fringeguru.com/reviews/buxton-2017/frontal-lobotomy
Full show available on my Patreon at the 'Brazen Voyeur' Level
Length
50 minutes with no interval
Set up time for full length show: 10 minutes
Clear up time for full length show: 10 minutes
Extract Version
15 minutes
I usually operate my own sound, and incorporate the clear up into the piece.
Set up time: 5 minutes
Technical
Solo performance, small-scale touring theatre: Space required is minimum of 3 metres wide and 2 metres deep.
Set required: 1 chair.
Lighting: 1 mid-show black out required, practical (desk light) onstage, so an electricity source and extension lead required. Can be modified for different venues.
Sound: 6 cues, tech script provided. Sound can also be operated by the performer if the speaker connection allows the ipad to be close to the performance space.
2017 Tour Dates
Wednesday 18th January, Le Chien Noir Cabaret for Mental Health, The RVT, London
Sunday 29th Janauary, The Albany, London
Wednesday 1st - Sunday 5th February, Gatsby’s Bar, Vault Festival, London
Thursday 16th February, Crowd of Favours, Leeds
Friday 3rd March, The Albany as part of Luscious Cabaret
Monday 13th March, Theatre in the Pound, Cockpitt Theatre, London
Sunday 2nd April, Bawdsville’s Other Fools, London
Saturday 8th April, The Beehive, London
Thursday 27th April, The Cavendish Arms, London
Sunday 14th May, Chaplin's Cellar Bar, Boscombe
Friday 19th-Saturday 20th May, Brighton Fringe, Bar Broadway, Brighton
Sunday 4th June, The Railway, Winchester
Saturday 24th June, All in the Mind Festival, Basingstoke
Sunday 2nd July, The Alternative Hat Fair, The Railway, Winchester
Saturday 8th July, Manchester Fringe, Gulliver's, Manchester
Friday 14th July, Guilford Fringe Festival, The Star Inn (Back Room), Guildford.
Saturday 22nd July, Buxton Fringe Festival, The Green Man Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Buxton
Tuesday 31st October, Andover College
2018 and 2019 Gigs
Saturday 7th April 2018, FAP in the Attic, The Railway, Winchester
Saturday 26th May, Cafe Reflections, Southampton
Sunday 7th October, DICE Festival, Camden People’s Theatre, London
Saturday 27th October, HYG Performance Nights, London
Saturday 2nd February 2019, FAP with Friends in the Attic, The Railway, Winchester
Tuesday 19th February, The Cabaret Project, Chaplins Cellar Bar, Boscombe
Saturday 1st June, FAP with Friends in the Attic, The Railway, Winchester
Friday 28th June, Moving Voices, The Art House, Southampton
Wednesday 10th July, Clout! Festival, Studio 3 Arts, London
Saturday 24th August, Derailed Summer Special, Winchester
Thursday 31st October, Write a Note, Southampton
2020 - 2023 Gigs
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th February 2021, Studio Jeu Live Stream
Sunday 14th February 2021, Valentine's Day Mascara (Online)
Saturday 2nd April 2022, Theatre Royal, Winchester
Friday 10th February 2023, Moving Voices, The Art House, Southampton
Sunday 2nd July, Portsfest,The Gunwharf Keys and The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Press from the Edinburgh Fringe debut run 2016 at the Laughing Horse Free Festival
The Upcoming
“Featured in The Ten Most Highly Anticipated Shows of the Fringe: Burlesque babe Jeu Jeu la Foille interestingly commingles original spoken word with the tantalising musical work of Tom Waits to create an intoxicating, sultry spectacle.”
FringeReview
“There’s a delicate cheekiness in the air. It’s a mix of disarming innocence, a coy smile and a theatrical wink which keeps you constantly intrigued… It immediately tickles your funny bone, letting you sit back and savour the formality being traduced…. Tying together the themes is a running soundtrack/soundscape of Tom Waits, either playing live (archly and hilariously mimed by Jeu Jeu in a hastily donned slouch hat – the arrival of her band is a treat – or Waits appearing as a puppet, manipulated by her, smoking a cigarette…”
Three Weeks
“Creative and engaging… La Foille clowns her way through burlesque and passionate prose – surely this is how every poetic anthology wishes it could be presented?”
The Scotsman
“Clever, controlled, accessible yet fantastical – and the whole thing is held together by La Foille’s relaxed and assured stage presence.”
Press from the 2017 Tour
Theatre Bubble, February http://www.theatrebubble.com/tag/jeu-jeu-la-foille/
Buxton Fringe, July https://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/reviews2017the.html
http://buxton.fringeguru.com/reviews/buxton-2017/frontal-lobotomy
Full show available on my Patreon at the 'Brazen Voyeur' Level
Photos courtesy of Oliver Facey, Jon Ellis and Stephan Burn 2016
Studio portrait by Rosemary Rance and Peter Jones 2016
Studio portrait by Rosemary Rance and Peter Jones 2016