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We create visceral and bombastic immersive theatre experiences in awesome places… spell-binding education and community projects… cool and quirktastic outreach with performers from the neurodiverse community… and more besides!


Mondays 22 Apr, 29 Apr, 6th May, 13th May, 20th May (5 week course)
5pm-6:30pm at Exeter Phoenix – £75 for the whole course

BOOK HERE

From the cray cray creatives who brought you MADAME THESPIA’S DELICIOUSLY DIVERSE CABARET and IMMERSIVE THEATRE SCHOOL… 

We are delighted to announce the creation of a brand new acting group for neurodiverse performers! This is a pilot 5 week course for what we hope will go on to become a regular series of lessons at Exeter Phoenix. Each term we will take on a different theme or story and work towards a spectacular showcase or performance, exploring different acting styles and theatre traditions. Participants will have the opportunity to work on both stage and screen acting techniques, depending on their preferences. The group is intended for adults and young adults (16+).

All our family are very grateful Theatre School. You helped our daughter to discover and develop her hidden talents!  You also taught our daughter how to work in a team, to believe in herself, to develop confidence! You are doing a great job! 
Parent feedback from Immersive Theatre School, Summer 2023

INTRODUCING OUR TUTORS

This project is being led by Phil Kingslan John. Phil trained as a secondary school teacher and taught English, Drama and Media for eight years before he abandoned the school system in search of ever more dynamic education and theatre making opportunities! In 2012 he founded the company Four of Swords with his friend Sarah; they have been creating relentlessly visceral, vibrant and immersive theatre, film and education projects ever since. 

Together Phil and Sarah were creative co-lead on Exeter Phoenix’s Summer Film School for seven years and worked as tutors in residence on various summer schools for international students. Phil also designs and delivers the course content for Creative Connections, a regular drama group for Learning Disabled young people run by Exeter Northcott and the Pelican Project. In 2021, Phil and his student and friend Isobel Jefferycreated  Madame Thespia’s Deliciously Diverse Cabaret: a quarterly open mic night for all, especially designed to platform under-represented artists. Phil has also worked with Exeter Community Initiatives and the Ripple Recovery Group at Exeter Colab, supporting therapeutic theatre and storytelling work for vulnerable adults.

Over the course of the AMBITIOUS PERFORMERS programme, participants will also meet and work with a selection of theatre makers from Four of Swords’ stable of collaborators, including of course Sarah White, the other half of Four of Swords, a brilliant actor and a creative producer extraordinaire! 

BOOK HERE
or to arrange a taster session / book individual sessions
email phil@four-of-swords.com


Workshop Series for Young Theatre Makers!

Supercool Ghostly Shadow Puppetry Show!

Inspiring True Story of a Neurodiverse Actress!

BOOK HERE!

Four Week Course for
13-18 yr old Writers,
Theatre Makers
& Mythology Buffs!

Thursdays
from 22nd Feb 2024

at Honiton Beehive

BOOK HERE!
(for Lyme – Exeter tix available soon)

An eerie Westcountry folk story told through enigmatic shadows, moving pictures, live actors and haunting original music

Thu 22nd February at Exeter Barnfield Theatre (tix available soon)

Thu 29th February
7:30pm at Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis

BOOK HERE
(for Brix – Exeter tix available soon)

The inspiring true life story of Isobel Jeffery, a neurodiverse actress and theatre maker

Fri 8th March
7:15pm at Brixham Library

Sun 12th May
4pm at Exeter Phoenix
(tix available soon)


An eerie Westcountry folk story told through enigmatic shadows, moving pictures, live actors and haunting original music

COMING SOON

There’s nothing quite like a chilling ghost story told in the depths of midwinter, is there? Four of Swords’ spooktastc offering is the lamentable tale of Trista “Heb Skovam”, a mysterious blind musician who abides on the North Cornish coast and is targeted by spirits from the past.

It is set around the year 1200, where Cornwall is a unique melting pot and intersection of cultures: Celtic and Saxon, Cornish and Bréton, Christian and pagan. The story is adapted from a Japanese folk tale from the anthology Kwaidan, but transposed to the Westcountry.

This hauntng and tragic producton promises to charm, mesmerise, and hopefully, ultimately horrify audiences! It presents a unique combinaton of shadow puppetry, live actors and haunting original music, featuring beautifully intricate laser-cut puppet designs. The project has been developed by Four of Swords working with emerging artists from Exeter University and Exeter Northcott Young Creatives.

COMING SOON


Following our extremely rewarding Immersive Theatre School at Beer Quarry Caves, it seemed like there was a real appetite for more year-round opportunities. Four of Swords is therefore teaming up with Exeter Phoenix and The Beehive Honiton to offer a unique course in adapting Greek Myths into a compelling, supercool theatre scripts.

All our family are very grateful Theatre School. You helped our daughter to discover and develop her hidden talents!  You also taught our daughter how to work in a team, to believe in herself, to develop confidence! You are doing a great job! 
Parent feedback from Immersive Theatre School, Summer 2023

We will be using the myth of Odysseus and the Cyclops as our starting point, weaving in other inspirations and analysing different versions of the myths, and culminating in a table read with a selection of professional actors, giving direct and tailored feedback to the students on their scripts. The plan is that the best ideas from these sessions will provide the basis of the script for our 2024 Immersive Theatre Scool production, which will be EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER than this year’s!

INTRODUCING OUR TUTORS

This course will be taught by Four of Swords co-founders Sarah White and Philip Kingslan John. Sarah is an experienced actor and a creative producer extraordinaire. Philip worked for ten years as a secondary school English teacher. He now specialises in writing and directing, and has also written educational texts for Pearson and Cambridge University Press.

DATES & INFO:
Thursdays 22nd Feb, 29th Feb, 7th Mar, 14th Mar at Honiton Beehive
5pm – 6:30pm each session
Ages 13 – 18
Tickets £55

BOOK TICKETS HERE
or to arrange a taster session / book individual sessions
email phil@four-of-swords.com


The History of Four of Swords

Four of Swords Theatre was founded in 2012, born of two friends’ determination to create sensational theatre, and right from the start the use of film projection in their theatre shows was integral to their work. Since 2014, they have combined their filmic and theatrical expertise for Exeter Phoenix’s Summer Film School and other filmmaking workshops including ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of How to Act on Film’. In 2018, Film School even went international, when Four of Swords took it to Shanghai, China. Recently, Four of Swords has been working on some epic multimedia projects such as “Beyond Gaia” at Exeter Cathedral, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and “1984: We Heart Big Brother”, funded by the Wellcome Centre at Exeter University.
Four of Swords have created three immersive theatre shows at Beer Caves over the years including adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth and Greek classics Medea and Oedipus.


SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES / EDUCATION DAYS / WORKSHOPS

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FOUR OF SWORDS has been working hard to build up its portfolio of schools visits and educational projects. We have now performed for 1,000 students in total and collaborated with CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS on the production of digital resources for schools.

For more information please visit the EDUCATION section of our website.

Are you a teacher? Do you work at a school or perhaps a youth group or language school? Surely you MUST be interested in booking FOUR OF SWORDS for a special performance of MACBETH, JEKYLL & HYDE, GAWAIN & THE GREEN KNIGHT or DOCTOR FAUSTUS!? We also offer supremely enlightening workshop sessions!

“The children felt very special to have a performance just for them…
I’ll never forget the look of horrified delight on their faces.”
Teacher feedback, Clyst Vale Community College

“The best impact day we’ve ever had!”
Teacher feedback, St Peter’s C of E Aided School, Exeter

CONTACT US

If you would like to join the mailing list and be kept up to the minute informed, OR indeed if you would like to suggest a funky venue we may not have thought of… then get in touch: sarah@four-of-swords.com or phil@four-of-swords.com

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