Giant Olive Theatre Company was founded in the summer of 2008 by Artistic Director George Sallis. The company stages classical theatre, commedia dell'arte, dance, contemporary plays, comedy, new writing and has become well known for its Charles Dickens Christmas adaptations, along with its bold dance projects, including the GOlive Dance and Performance Festival, curated by Donald Hutera (''The Times'').

Hugh Bonneville Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams (born 10 November 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey''. His performance on the show earned him a no ...

is a Patron of the company. Associate artists include Ray Shell (''

Starlight Express ''Starlight Express'' is a 1984 British musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern engines in the hope o ...

'', ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...

''), Antonia Franceschi ( ''FAME'',

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...

), Mark Baldwin

Rambert Dance Company Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingd ...

and Zoe Martlew.

Dance

In 2013, Giant Olive produced the inaugural GOlive Dance and Performance festival, curated by veteran arts journalist Donald Hutera, whose writing has appeared in The Times, Time Out, Dance Europe and many other publications and websites worldwide. The festival patrons were Siobhan Davies and Rosemary Butcher. Spread across 21 consecutive days, and comprising over four dozen individuals or companies, the GOlive Festival featured work by Darren Ellis, Ella Mesma, Renaud Wiser, Anusha Subramanyam, Daniel Hay-Gordon/Eleanor Perry, 70/30 Split, Shane Shambhu, Nuno Silva, Moreno Solinas, Peta Lily, The Dangerologists, Stephanie Schober, Anna Williams, Stopgap's Sg2, Angela Woodhouse, Dog Kennel Hill Project, Avatâra Ayuso, Mickael Marso Rivière, Jennifer Jackson/Susie Crow, Annie Lok, Zoi Dimitriou and Fred Gehrig amongst many others. Between them the artist involved had worked with the likes of Complicite, Richard Alston, Siobhan Davies, Shobana Jeyasingh, Russell Maliphant, The Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor, Random Dance, Rambert Dance Company, Henri Oguike, Arthur Pita and Fiona Shaw. In 2011, George Sallis and Antonia Franceschi teamed up to produce a Gala performance, to mark the closure of the Lion & Unicorn Theatre for refurbishment. The evening included performances choreographed by Richard Alston, Mark Baldwin, Martin Lawrence, and Jonathan Goddard, with poetry directed by Patsy Rodenburg, and "Disco" from Giant Olive's POP8, again featuring Ballet Black. In June 2009, Giant Olive Theatre Company produced ''POP8'', with Antonia Franceschi, a new dance theatre piece incorporating a short film by

Tal Rosner Tal Rosner (born in Jerusalem, 9 June 1978) is a London-based Israeli filmmaker and video artist. Biography Tal Rosner is a graduate of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem (2000–03) and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Desi ...

and Franceschi set in

Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town. Less than four miles north of central London, Kentish Town has good transport connections and is situated close to the open ...

, and an additional film by Terry Braun also featuring Franceschi, which was choreographed by Rambert's Mark Baldwin. Performers included Ballet Black dancers, resident at the Royal Opera House, Zoe Martlew on cello and voiceovers from Franceschi and George Sallis directed by

Patsy Rodenburg Patsy Rodenburg, OBE (born 2 September 1953) is a British voice coach, author, and theatre director. She is the Head of Voice at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal Na ...

. The production was supported by Camden Council. and received Critic's Choice in London's '' TimeOut''.

The ZIP Project (Gun & Knife Crime)

Giant Olive received ''Time Out'' Critics Choice in 2010, for its Community Outreach project, ''ZIP:Gun & Knife Crime''. With the support of The Big Lottery Fund, Camden Council and

Choice FM Capital XTRA (formerly Choice FM) is a Global-owned radio station that broadcasts on 96.9 FM and 107.1 FM in Greater London. Nationally, it is heard on DAB Digital Radio, Freesat, Sky, Virgin Media and Global Player. It specialises in ...

, the company ran workshops in Camden with people affected by gun and knife crime as victims or perpetrators. Working with the experiences and stories told, Giant Olive produced an original streetdance musical. The project was supported by Local MP, Rt Hon Frank Dobson, Councillor Tulip Siddiq, Councillor Abdul Hai and Chief Superintendent Neil Wilson.

The Gaea Theatre Festival

The Gaea Theatre Festival celebrates international women playwrights, performers, directors and designers and was launched by Giant Olive in August 2011. The festival received seven award nominations from the OffWestEnd.com Theatre Awards and Time Out Critic's Choice for Caroline Horton's ''I'll Show You Mine''.

Little Olives

Little Olives is Giant Olive's children's theatre company.

Productions

* 2015: ''Just Dance''. UK premiere. Produced by AFD/Giant Olive at the Theatre Royal Winchester, choreography by Antonia Franceschi, featuring performers from the Royal Ballet, Rambert, Ballet Black and Random Dance * 2013–2015: ''GOlive Dance and Performance Festival''. Curated by Donald Hutera * 2011: ''An Experiment zith zn Air Pump'', Shelagh Stephenson. Directed by Liisa Smith, * 2011: ''I'll Show You Mine''. Adapted and performed by Caroline Horton, produced by Giant Olive Theatre Company * 2011: ''Beauty Is Prison-Time''. Written and performed by Zoe Mavroudi, * 2011: ''Tom Jones'',

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist, irony writer, and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. His comic novel ''Tom Jones'' is still widely appreciated. He and Samuel Richardson are seen as founders ...

. Directed by Edward Kingham, * 2011: ''Go Gala'', George Sallis (GO Artistic Director), Antonia Franceschi (GO Artistic Advisor), Mark Baldwin (artistic director, Rambert), Richard Alston (artistic director, The Place), Martin Lawrence (Choreographer) * 2010–11: ''A Christmas Carol'',

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

* 2010: ''ZIP:Gun & Knife Crime''. Produced by George Sallis. * 2009-10: ''Oliver Twist'',

. Adapted by Piers Beckley, directed by Ray Shell * 2009–10: ''Supernatural'', Written by Aline Waites and Jago Turner, directed by Mykal Rand * 2009: ''Kitty and Damnation'', Written by Joseph Crilly * 2009: ''Pop8'', with Antonia Franceschi, Zoë Martlew and Ballet Black * 2009: ''Getting Out'', Sarah Henley. Directed by Francis Watson and Gillian Foley * 2009: ''Dark Tales'', Hans Christian Andersen * 2008–09: ''A Christmas Carol'',

. Adapted by Piers Beckley * 2008: ''The Hostess of the Inn'',

Carlo Goldoni Carlo is a given name. It is an Italian form of Charles. It can refer to: * Carlo (name) * Monte Carlo * Carlingford, New South Wales, a suburb in north-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia *A satirical song written by Dafydd Iwan about Prince ...

. Translated and adapted by Katherine Gregor, directed by Alex Hunter * 2008: ''Antigone'',

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...

* 2008: ''Adult Orgasm'', Dario Fo and Franka Rame * 2008: ''The Would Be Gentleman'',

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

. Directed by Alex HunterMentioned in article in Whats On Stage
published 13 October 2008.

Awards and nominations

* Nominations for th
OffWestEnd.com
Theatre Awards: * Most Promising New Playwright for ''Beauty Is Prison-Time'' * Best Female Performer for ''Beauty Is Prison-Time'' * Best Director for ''Beauty Is Prison-Time'' * Best Female Performer for ''I'll Show You Mine'' * Best Director for ''I'll Show You Mine'' * Best Female Performer for ''Nine'' * Best Male Performer for ''Not About Heroes''

Giant Olive team

The Giant Olive team * Group Artistic Director George Sallis * Artistic Associate Tamzin Paskins The Giant Olive patron * Giant Olive Theatre Company

Production team * Head of Technical Department Ciaran Cunningham Advisors Artistic Advisor Donald Hutera

References

{{Reflist 2008 establishments in England 2008 in London Arts organizations established in 2008 Theatre companies in London