(Augusto Boal at Riverside Church, New York City, 2009)
Vanessa Fielding, Artistic Director and founder of The Complex, is an accomplished theatre director who has left an indelible mark on the theatrical landscape in the UK and Ireland.
Trained at The Drama Studio and The Young Vic in London, Vanessa has directed productions at prestigious traditional venues such as the Abbey Theatre, the Olympia and Gaiety Theatres, Druid Theatre, and the Lyric Theatre, Belfast.
Vanessa's journey into socially engaged theatre drew her to working in non-traditional theatres, removing the physical division between audience and performers, and bringing seats nearer to the stage. She converted places like the North Dublin Brewing Company, the Presidents Hall in the Law Society, and the Old Riding School in Collins Barracks into temporary theatres where audiences were closer and more involved with the action of the story.
( Boal's 'Theatre of the Oppressed, NYC, 2009)
Vanessa’s practice was profoundly influenced by the style of directing plays in the round where audiences were right next to the actor, performing on the floor in front of them and in the aisles beside them, giving an electricity to the danger and excitement of live performance.
( The Complex X The Abbey Theatre's production of 'Dublin Will Show You How' from 2019, an example of the immersive style Vanessa has developed, influenced by Boal)
The content of this new work was influenced by her training under Augusto Boal, the legendary Brazilian theatre maker known for developing the Theatre of the Oppressed and Forum Theatre. Boal's methodologies emphasise the use of theatre as a means for social and political change, encouraging active community participation to explore and transform societal realities and create performances embedded in their place and time. Vanessa has effectively integrated these principles into her work, focusing on community-driven projects that address pressing social issues, giving a voice to those who are often silenced, and combining them with her and her team’s skills to deliver outstanding, professional theatre.
(Vanessa Fielding, Artistic Director at The Complex.)
Inspired by her training under Boal Vanessa has, throughout her career, pushed for social change and open discourses around often-overlooked issues. This determination will be a feature of her upcoming directorial project On the Waterfront, an adaptation of the classic film starring Marlon Brando. Pre-sale tickets are available for a very limited time, book now for a must-see theatre experience.
This is part one of a new blog series entitled 'A More Social Form of Theatre.' Read part two, out now here!