Francis Footwork

by David Bolger

Now in 180° VR | Click here to find out about upcoming screenings of Ireland’s first Virtual Reality dance theatre production

FOR EVERYONE AGED 6+

“Joyful, clever, entertaining, intricate, technically superb and with a heart of goodness, Francis Footwork is a pure and simple delight. – The Irish Times

“If it all sounds a little magical and wondrous, that’s because it is. As well as being one of the most exquisitely choreographed and beautifully produced pieces of dance theatre to be had anywhere…Joyous, uplifting, and miraculously magical, “Francis Footwork” might well have you feeling a little bit starstruck. – The Arts Review

“A magical, marvellous take on dancing to your own tune” – The Sunday Business Post

“Dancing is like dreaming with your feet.
Colonel Headbanger doesn’t like dreams as they can give people ideas.
People with ideas can be dangerous.”

Once upon a dance floor…
… in a kingdom not so far away, lived Francis Footwork.

Now Francis Footwork is no ordinary girl – she is an extraordinary dancer. When kind-hearted King Two Lefties ascends to the throne, he is tricked by trusted adviser Colonel Headbanger to rule the land with an iron fist. He wants to end all dancing. So Francis teaches him a dance lesson he will never forget!

From the company that brought you the international, award-winning hit THE WOLF AND PETER comes a magical, empowering tale from David Bolger that celebrates individuality and encourages everyone to dance their own dance.

UPCOMING

In Spring 2022, FRANCIS FOOTWORK was filmed in 180° virtual reality at The Ark, Cultural Centre for Children, Dublin 2. With the support of Arts Council Ireland’s Capacity Building Support Scheme 2022, CoisCéim will start touring Ireland’s first VR dance theatre production this summer, contextualised within a new series of CREATIVE DANCE TALES led by Olwyn Lyons.

Click here to find out more

Credits

WRITER, DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER David Bolger
MUSIC & SOUND Denis Clohessy
SCENIC, LIGHTING & PROJECTION DESIGN Christopher Ash
COSTUME DESIGN Maree Kearns
HAIR & MAKEUP Val Sherlock
ISL INTERPRETER Caoimhe Coburn Gray

CAST Cristian Enmanuel Dirocie, Stephanie Dufresne, Ivonne Kalter and Jonathan Mitchell

PRODUCTION MANAGER Eamon Fox
STAGE MANAGER Stephanie Ryan
CHIEF LX Eoin Winning
SOUND ENGINEER Michael Stapleton
AV ENGINEER Laura Rainsford

PROPS Dylan Farrell
COSTUME SUPERVISOR Nicola Burke
COSTUME DESIGN ASSISTANT Pai Treeratt
PROP MAKER Craig Starkie
PHOTOGRAPHER Hugo Glendinning, Ros Kavanagh
GRAPHIC DESIGN Alphabet Soup

DEDICATED TO EMMA O’KANE

Emma O‘Kane was a core member and part of the fabric of CoisCéim for over 20 years. The premiere of production of FRANCIS FOOTWORK was her last collaboration with the company before her untimely death in early 2021. CoisCéim is a founding partner of the Emma O‘Kane Bursary. Find out more here.

VIDEO

INTERVIEWS with the team

“Can you imagine a world without dancing? What would be stolen from us?” – An interview with Director and Choreographer David Bolger on RTÉ Culture Blog

“To me, dance means everything. Dance is freedom, dance is expression. It is passion, creativity. Dance is powerful…” An interview with cast member with Cristian Enmanuel Dirocie for the Pavilion Theatre Blog

“With Francis Footwork I wanted to create a story that had dance as its central character…it was the dance that drove me to make this piece…” An interview with David Bolger in the Galway Advertiser