The Pirate Project

Stories of swashbuckling female pirates of the past, combined with intimate moments of personal piracy today.

An Associate Artist project in collaboration with Lucy Foster.

Fanciful stagings of the escapades of Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Ching Shih – swashbuckling female pirates of the past – combined with intimate stories of personal piracy in the performers’ own lives.

These bloodthirsty historical damsels out-sail, out-think, and out-fight every man on the high seas. How do they do it? How does a slip of a girl subdue a ship of salty sea dogs? Could she still do it today? Has her 21st century counterpart got the guts to stick a dagger between her teeth, fire a broadside and make off with the booty?

In The Pirate Project three women set sail in search of their inner pirate: along the way there are sword fights, theatrical storms and cross dressing aplenty.

The Pirate Project was created as an Improbable Associate Artist Project, a programme where Improbable provide artistic, production, and mentoring support for our Associate Artists and artistic collaborators.

The show toured England in Spring/Summer 2012, with venues including the Royal Exchange (Manchester), Northern Stage (Newcastle), The Nuffield (Southampton) and Ovalhouse (London, now Brixton House).

Directed by Lucy Foster
Designed by Philip Eddolls
Lighting Design by Fabiana Picciolli
Composition and Sound designed by Nick Powell
Video Designed by Ian William Galloway
Assistant Direction by Nicole Charles
Production Management by Sander Loonen
Dramaturgy by Matilda Leyser
Photography by Keith Pattinson

Performed by Chloé Déchery, Lucinka Eisler and Simone Kenyon