Project Archive
2010
Crazy Joanna
‘“Topped the bill… Beautiful, compelling, awful.” — The Londonist
Premiered 2010
Artists
Concept - Jen Wren
Choreography - Jen Wren & Originating Cast
Direction/Editing - Aurora Fearnley
Camera -
Composition -
Costumes - Caroline Ferreira
Lighting - Mark Baker
Originating Cast - Dani Ferreira, Riccardo Menghini.
Amir Giles & Phil Sanger
Photography - Brian Slater
From the tormented life of the medieval Spanish Queen, Juana la Loca, to the backstreets of Buenos Aires at the birth of the Tango, and to a neighbourhood near you, Crazy Joanna is a time-travelling feminist manifesto which Wren has used to stand against domestic violence and say ‘enough is enough’.
In its traversing of timelines, this production is a powerful commentary on the enduring struggles of women who have suffered in the hands of the men they have trusted, but it is also a beacon of hope, a reminder that we are not alone.
Crazy Joanna, a multi-media production, also reunited the talents of Jen Wren & Aurora Fearnley to great effect. In this project the pair really make the most of local landscapes, state-of-the-art equipment and the talent of the performers to ensure that the themes have the artistic integrity they deserve.
Our partners and stakeholders for Crazy Joanna, to whom we are forever grateful, were: Arts Council England, Oppenheim John Downes Memorial Trust, Chapel Allerton Arts Development, Seven Arts Centre.
“As someone who spent three years in a violent relationship [this was] Beautiful, Amazing, Fabulous.”
Crazy Joanna Audience (anon.)
Touring and Accolades
Crazy Joanna premiered at Seven Arts Centre in 2010 and then toured venues around Yorkshire & London. It’s a multi-media framework took advantage of both live and digital sharing opportunities; it was featured through Virgin Media Shorts, promoted in support of the opening of a women's support centre through DaiNA (Domestic Abuse is Never Acceptable), and shown exclusively at the Underwire Film Festival (London) and then selected for the Woolgatherer Arts Prize 2011.
‘Choreographer Jenni Wren and her collaborative dancers must be credited for their sensitive approach to this prevalent issue; a must-see performance.’
Suzanne Allen