Cloak of Feathers is an allegory of our time: a work of grand mythic narrative sweep, strong poetic and visual imagery, exploring a world ravaged by war and the voicelessness of those in opposition. 

In the peaks of a dark mountain overlooking a war-ravaged city, a mother lives alone with her daughter, their only companions the giant birds that descend daily to eat from their hands. At seventeen the daughter uncovers the terrible secret of her own violent conception, and travels to the city in search of her father.  Birds scavenge helplessly for food amongst the rubble, but amidst the ruination, preparations are under way for a grand celebration.  She finds herself face to face with her father, whose story questions everything her mother has told her.  She is forced into making a terrible decision:  a choice between action and flight.

The use of birds throughout Cloak of Feathers recalls layers of familiar imagery in myth and popular culture - yet sometimes they are just birds, pecking and scratching and eating and nesting.
The world of the birds is brought to life by Dan Potra’s infinitely flexible set, incorporating the use of new aerial systems to fly both performer and object. The sound is created in a large sculpture/music machine, a space defined by amplified piano wires stretched from floor to ceiling, surrounding an ensemble of turntables and a collection of everyday objects, from bicycle wheels to old pipes.

ARTISTIC TEAM

Writer: Susan Rogers
Director: Chris Drummond
Choreographer: Debra Batton
Designer: Dan Potra
Musical Director: Carl Polke
Performers: Eight performers and two musicians.  Alexandra Harrison, Rowan Marchingo, Kirk Page, Francis Rings, Celia Ireland, Mathew Whittet, Patrick Dickson, Jennifer Vuletic, Alan Clarke and Lee Wilson have contributed to the developmental processes.
Voice teacher: Gina Zoia
Dance teacher: Dean Walsh
Production Manager: Neil Simpson
Rigger: Mark Le Cornu