FREAK OUT!

Coin Toss Collective

Coin Toss Collective are a company of nine ‘joyfully chaotic’ theatre-makers and performers. Our journey began in 2021, when we were selected to be the twelfth group to take part in Made in Bristol, a year-long theatre-making residency at the historic Bristol Old Vic theatre. We chose our name in a fluke moment, when one of our members suggested that we decide by tossing a coin. We thought this reflected our collaborative approach to devising theatre - playful, endlessly curious, unconventional, and open to serendipitous moments that often take our work into unexpected territory.

The first show we made together was A Gurt Time Was Had By All, a devised verbatim show in collaboration with director Lisa Gregan and acclaimed performance artist Tom Marshman. Gurt Time was a live, loud and euphoric celebration of the memories of the tenants from Brunelcare, Bristol about favourite nights out from their past, jam-packed with music, dancing and humour. We employed a randomised bingo game structure, transforming their stories into an eclectic mix of mini performances and assigning each one to a numbered ball. In this way, we loved that the storyline of each performance was entirely dependent on chance, echoing how the best nights out are often spontaneous and unpredictable! Gurt Time recently enjoyed a well-received run at the 10th Stroud Theatre Festival.

We are thrilled to be bringing our most recent creation FREAK OUT! to VAULT Festival after a successful debut at Bristol Old Vic in July 2022. A high-energy theatrical cocktail of live art, clowning and character study, this show is inspired by real stories of UK seaside towns threatened by coastal erosion.

We have previously worked with Anthony Matsena (Shades of Blue, Sadler’s Wells associated artist), Adam Peck (writer of the Olivier-winning A Monster Calls), Sally Cookson (director of A Monster Calls) and The Wardrobe Ensemble (Education, Education, Education - Fringe First winners 2019).

Cast & Creative Team Created, devised and performed by the company: Weronika Dwornik, Claudia Kurucz, Lydia Lakin, Rosie Mullaney, Ben Notice, Sophia Oriogun-Williams, Alyssa Thomas and Sol Woodroffe.