Nigel Charnock

Nigel Charnock, a founder member of DV8, founded his own company – Nigel Charnock + Company - in 1995. Renowned as a maverick and totally captivating performer with a string of internationally renowned solo shows to his name, Nigel ruptures the boundaries of performance, continually exploring and developing dance as a genre through working across different disciplines and media.

Nigel has created internationally renowned dance pieces throughout Europe and was Artistic Director of Helsinki Dance Company between 2002 – 2005.  He is perhaps most well known for his unique solo performances, including Human Being, Hell Bent, Original Sin and Resurrection.  Since 2003, Nigel has been touring his latest solo work, Frank which was originally commissioned by the Venice Biennale. Frank is a fiercely comic blend of improvised monologue, song and dance, unashamedly honest, daringly physical and very entertaining.  In tandem with this, Nigel has also been performing Fever, a collaboration with German composer, clarinet and saxophone-player Michael Riessler and inspired by Shakespeare’s sonnets.

In 2006, Nigel will be undertaking a variety of projects including commissions, teaching, performing, writing, directing and recording a cd.  Amongst these projects is Stupid Men, a maelstrom and a male storm! An improvisation and performance project to be realised with the support of Dance 4, Stupid Men is for an ensemble of male performers including Adrian Howells and Nigel himself, who will also direct.  Each member of the ensemble has a passionate interest in improvisation and in making raw, fearless theatre; each performance will be a unique experience for performers and audience: a completely free improvisation and an act of total theatre. Each time will be the first time and the last!