Metafex Press Release

Metafex Festival 2008. Liverpool 9th-23rd 2008.
In Memory of, and as a tribute to Ken Campbell.

"They only call me a genius so they don't have to give me a job." - Ken Campbell.

On the contrary. Ken Campbell was one of the most important and seminal individuals in modern British theatre and the arts. Before his death, he had been planning to come to Liverpool in November to work with The Art Organisation on a new show, to be called Metafex. Since his untimely passing, The Art Organisation has decided to instead run the same festival, but to his memory, and as an expression of his legacy.

The Metafex Festival will run for two weeks, from the 9th to the 23rd of November. It will include theatre, music, art, performance, intervention and workshops. Although not exclusively about the work of Ken Campbell, Metafex will use the same anarchic and sideways-looking approach for which the great man was famous. Metafex will include work by many of Ken's collaborators and disciples. It will look back on his glory days at the Liverpool School of Language, Music, Dream and Pun, The Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool and his Artistic Directorship at the Everyman Theatre, as well as looking forward to his legacy and effect on artists and theatricals today.

Campbell's is a life worth celebrating. To that end, in Meme (formerly Tito's restaurant in Slater Street) there will be an exhibition of photographs, film and memorabilia illustrating his time in the city. There will be a film night which will include footage of Ken Campbell's Roadshow at Kirkby. Peter Halligan, the founder of the School of Language, Music, Dream and Pun will give a lecture. The Festival will end with a tribute show at the Everyman Theatre on Sunday 23rd November at 2pm, with many of the people who worked with him in Liverpool.

But Ken Campbell's focus was never on the past. He never rested on his laurels or dwelt on his glory days, he was always looking to the future and to the next project. Thus his collaborators, including Jud Charlton, Ian Potter and Jeff Merrifield will be doing shows inspired by him, and the centrepiece of the Festival will be a 2008 minute (33 hours, 28 minutes) improvisational marathon entitled Oh Wait! Ken's work in the last four years has largely been in improvisation, both long and short form, and he was fascinated by the work of Dana Andersen and the Die Nasty Company in Edmonton, Canada, the pioneers and world leaders in long form comedy improvisation. Andersen himself (a friend and colleague of Campbell's) will be coming over to run the improvisation, which takes the form of a comedy soap run in 2 hour segments, each comprising one hour 45 minutes of improvisation and a 15minute break. It will be set on a White Star Liner in 1934, travelling between Liverpool and New York. It aims to be "entirely improvised, entirely foolish". It will take place at the Kazimier Club (formerly the Continental) on Wolstenholme Square. There will also be a Campbell inspired cabaret at the Kazimier on the evening of Saturday 22nd of November.

Not content with theatrical practice during his life, Campbell was also a teacher of his own brand of esoteria and theatre. The Metafex will, therefore, also include workshops in "Real Acting," improvisation, ventriloquism, and other more arcane subjects, including Tuvan overtone singing. This will allow the people of Liverpool to get a taste for themselves of the inner workings of theatre, the Campbell way.

All shows will be pay what you can or by donation, except the Improvised Marathon (£4 for a 2 hour segment or £15 for the whole event) and the cabaret (£5). Tickets available at Mellomello Cafe, Slater Street.

For more details and a full timetable of events for the Metafex Festival please go to metafex.blogspot.com or taoliverpool.co.uk.

The Metafex Festival is organised by The Art Organisation Liverpool. Curators: Josh Darcy and Gregory Scott-Gurner, with the help and assistance of Laurence Sidorczuk, Chris Bernard and Paul Robinson.