A re-working of Barbe Bleue, The Fantasist is an outstanding example of the strengths of collaborative storytelling through devising.

An evocative blend of physical theatre, puppetry and original music tells the story of a woman’s battle with the swirl of extreme moods. Struggling with the tricks her mind plays on her, Louise yearns for sleep. Instead, she must take a strange journey with a surprise visitor in this thoughtful and thought-provoking exploration of bipolar disorder.

International ensembles Theatre Témoin and Cie. Traversière, formed by graduates of the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), have created and performed new, exciting and socially engaged work all around the world. They previously collaborated on the creation of Ni Ibya Buri Wese (“For Everyone”), performed in Kigali, Rwanda, in  commemoration of the 1994 genocide and Theatre Témoin’s Jukai, featuring Japanese Taiko drumming, had a sell-out run at the Blue Elephant in 2010.

Puppet Director Robin Guiver is Movement and Horse Choreography Assistant on War Horse. He was previously a member of the original West End cast of War Horse, playing the hind part of Joey the horse.