1927

Founded in 2005 by animator & illustrator Paul Barritt, and writer & performer Suzanne Andrade, 1927 came together when the tremendously talented performer Esme Appleton joined them, suggesting that the pair merged animation and live performance to see what might happen…but something was missing…enter Lillian Henley, composer and pianist. A decade on 1927 are still experimenting with what happens when performance, live music with animation come together.

Having cut its teeth on the London cabaret scene, in 2007, 1927 premiered its debut show Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Offers of international touring came flooding in, and 1927 enlisted the help of producer Jo Crowley. In the 3 years that followed, the show was presented over 2 sell-out London seasons, toured throughout the UK and internationally, being awarded the Peter Brook Empty Space Award for Best Ensemble along the way. Jo became a permanent and essential fixture.

In 2010 1927 premiered their “difficult second album” show The Animals and Children took to the Streets at the Sydney Opera House. Despite the company fearing the show would be a flop, hated far and wide, the show was presented over 400 times in 80 venues across 28 countries including 3 seasons at the National Theatre London.

In 2012, 1927 collaborated with Komische Opera Berlin, to conceive and create a reimagining of The Magic Flute. Since its Berlin premiere, the show has won 2 Opera World Awards, continues to play in repertoire, and 3 new productions have been mounted thus far at Los Angeles Opera, Deutsche Oper am Rhein and Minnesota Opera.

1927’s third show – Golem, a 1927 co-production with Salzburg Festival, Théâtre de la Ville Paris & Young Vic Theatre had its world premiere at the Salzburg Festival in August 2014. In 2014, 1927 also presented Paul Barritt’s short film White Morning, at Sundance, Florida, and the London Short Film Festival and Paul collaborated with Ensemble MusikFabrik to create A Tribute to Krazy Kat, a live music and animation performance, which premiered in Dresden in October.

1927 are based in Margate and London, and alongside being Associate Company here at HOME, they are also Associate’s at the Young Vic Theatre and Resident Artists at Stratford Circus.