BAKU 1ST EUROPEAN GAMES

FLAME CAPTURE CEREMONY

TURKU EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

OPENING SHOW
Mark Murphy
Mark is an award-winning and hugely experienced creator of world class theatre, outdoor spectacle, major civic celebrations and international ceremonies.
As director, writer, film-maker and production designer; his leadership and vision are responsible for generating some of the most striking and memorable events of the last two decades.

By revealing intimacy in the epic, uncovering depth in the spectacular and by celebrating the extraordinary in the everyday, Mark demonstrates a rare gift for making work that is simultaneously compelling, accessible and provocative.

As well as being immensely proud to call himself an artist, Mark is fundamentally and unashamedly in the business of entertainment.

In addition to working independently,  Mark has collaborated with a range of companies including Cuerda Producciones, Walk The Plank, Fuel, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Out Of Joint, Legs On The Wall, Northern Stage, NVA, The National Theatre Of Scotland and the BBC.

Commercial companies & agencies include Donaldson Creative, Jack Morton Worldwide, WRG, Innovision, Sledge, Imagination, CTN, Ear To The Ground and Ground Control.

 

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

Out Of This World national tour

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony

Baku1st European Games Presidential Flame Capture Ceremony

White Gold, Culture 2014 Commonwealth Games

GCSF Opening Ceremony, Abu Dhabi

Land of Giants, London 2012 Cultural Olympiad

Liverpool 08 European Capital of Culture Opening Ceremony

Turku 2011 European Capital of Culture Opening Ceremony

The Preston Passion, BBC1

The Night Shift

Half Life

One Giant Leap

“A mesmerizing and emotional journey created through an impressive combination of acting, aerials, and projections"

The Wee Review

"Out of this World strives for something much deeper than spectacle - it makes a play for our hearts, and wins"

The Scotsman

"Lavish, spectacular and startling"

The Guardian

"A beautiful, sometimes harrowing, sometimes touching, sometimes funny, sometimes absurd, love story. A tale of loss and grief – and survival"

Bum on a Seat

"A wonderful example of how contemporary theatre can engage with a mass audience"

The Times

“Duplicitous, perverse, wilful and desperate. A vastly ambitious piece that delivers on every level. Breathtaking”

The Independent

“It’s work that belongs as much in the movie house as it does in the theatre. It is constantly pushing, challenging and provoking – daring you to feel something”

The Times

“Murphy’s greatest gift is his ability to fuse live physicality with unpredictable rushes of filmed motion. This is work not afraid to stretch the imagination but also clearly not out to bewilder”

The Stage

“It’s amazing, astonishing, that someone is able to create this. If the year continues in this vain, what else shall we see!”

Helsingin Sanomat

“If theatre dealing with emotion and sensation is your thing, you’ll find yourself well served”

The Metro

“A haunting and beautiful performance”

The Scotsman

“Those who looked skyward and found themselves thrust into a thrilling fantasy, a virtual world of pure theatre”

The Irish Times

“Murphy’s script is enthralling. The magic of the piece most definitely lies in his articulate and wounding observations on the nature of love, as well as his skill in directing"

British Theatre Guide

“Brilliantly devised. It is a show perfectly pitched for the festival crowd… a show with a heart and a feel-good ending...provokes our sense of wonderment”

The Age, Melbourne

“Inventive and impressive...physical theatre of the highest calibre”

Herald Sun

A daringly staged work of theatre with remarkable stunt work. Fearsome and capably realised"

The Financial Times

"One big house party that will be shouted about for years to come... and brought to a wonderful close by a raucous celebration"

The Glasgow Herald

AWARDS

Winner – Eventia Awards 2014

GCSF Opening Ceremony Gold Award Winner

Winner – Royal Television Society Awards

Best Live Event for The Preston Passion

Winner – Helpmann Award for Legs On The Wall

Best Production & Best Choreography in a Live Event

Winner – Manchester Evening News Theatre Award

Best Visiting Production for ‘1984’