A Mind the Gap and Gecko co-production

A Little Space

What does it mean to you to have a little space?

A little space where we can escape the world and be ourselves. Where we can say whatever we want, do whatever we feel and where no one will ever bother us.

But it can be an unpredictable space too, where voices are funnelled away, fears leak through the floorboards, songs light up the room and you never know who’s listening behind the door.

A place where whispers come to life and one kind gesture could change everything.

Devised and performed by five artists with learning disabilities, in collaboration with Mind the Gap and Gecko, A Little Space follows the lives of five people in an apartment block. The show explores what happens when they connect and disconnect from each other, whether through choice or through isolation.

Drawing on the performers’ own experiences, A Little Space is a powerful piece of physical theatre, which uses movement, imagery, sound and lighting to portray the needs, desires and fears of the characters.

Supported by Arts Council England; Commissioned by HOME, Manchester and The Place, London

Watch the Trailer

Behind the Scenes Videos

About the Show

Gecko’s Rich Rusk, one of the creators of A Little Space, explains what audiences can expect when they come to see the show.

Working with Gecko

Mind the Gap co-creator Charli Ward talks to devising cast members JoAnne Haines and Paul Bates about how they have found working with Gecko.

Watch more Behind the Scenes videos on our YouTube channel below.
A LIttle Space Behind the Scenes Playlist

“A Little Space is a challenging and thoroughly engaging work, told with humour and a great deal of poignancy and provides much food for thought on the way home.”

Ipswich Star

“There were so many ways this show could be interpreted, and so many hidden layers, it is definitely something I’d recommend watching more than once.”

Disability Arts Online

“Visually stunning stuff, dotted with thrilling moments of surprise and ingenuity.”

The Guardian

The Cast

A headshot of Paul Bates. Paul is a white man with short dark blonde hair. He is smiling and wearing a pale pink t-shirt. He is pictured against a dark background.

Paul Bates

Devising Performer

A headshot of Lorraine Brown. Lorraine is a white woman with long straight brown hair. She is smiling and looking off towards the side slightly. She is wearing a pink and black floral top. She is pictured against a dark background.

Lorraine Brown

Devising Performer

A headshot of Alison Colborne. She is a white woman with shoulder length wavy mousey brown hair. She is wearing dark rimmed rectangle glasses and a flowery top. She is pictured against a dark background.

Alison Colborne

Devising Performer

A headshot of JoAnna Haines. JoAnne is a white woman with ginger chin length hair and blue eyes. She is smiling and wearing a black long sleeve top. She is pictured against a dark background.

JoAnne Haines

Devising Performer

A headshot of Charlotte Jones. Charlotte is a Black women with black shoulder length hair. She is wearing a peach coloured sweater. She is smiling and looking slightly off to the side. She is pictured against a dark background.

Charlotte Jones

Devising Performer

Creatives

Created by Karen Bartholomew, Rich Rusk, Charli Ward and Dan Watson

Producers: Rosalind Wynn (for Gecko) & Deborah Dickinson (for Mind the Gap)
Design: Rhys Jarman
Lighting Design: Chris Swain
Original Music: Dave Price
Sound Design: Mark Melville
Associate Director: Helen Baggett
Associate Designer: Becky-Dee Trevenen
Production Manager: Ben Pugh
Company Manager: Melissa Conyers
Technical Stage Manager: Lee Silcock

During creation and 2019 touring:
Production Manager: Hannah Blamire
Re-lighter/Operator: Symon Culpin

Photographs by Chris Payne and Tom Woollard

Gallery

 

 

Commissioned by HOME, Manchester and The Place, London

ZARA

Anna