In 1994 Joelle Taylor and Vanessa Lee continued the cutting edge and controversial partnership they had initiated in university and formed the first women’s physical theatre collective. They called themselves Spin/Stir Women’s Physical Theatre Collective and not only dedicated themselves to writing and directing challenging new theatre but also built the very room they rehearsed in. Here is a video about the early days compiled by writer, director, actor and long-time maverick Vanessa Lee:

Spin/Stir has now been added to the Unfinished Histories website which documents and promotes the largely overlooked work of the radical 80’s and 90 theatre companies; all companies that existed before the advent of the internet found their work disappearing into the loud digital miasma. These days, if you are not featured on the web it is as though you do not exist.

Interviews with Taylor and Lee can be found here: http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/history/companies/spinstir/

Spin/Stir produced several plays, including:

Joelle continues to write choreo-poems, plays and performance pieces to commission.

THEATRE REVIEWS

As addictive as the most uncensored gossip. Thrilling. The Stage

Every second is crammed with dense dazzling word pictures. Time Out

Awesome. Breath taking moments of Grand Guignol. What’s On

Confrontational sassiness veers toward the dangerous in bold poetic blasts. The Guardian