What's it all about then?

Improbable are co-producers of The Bear, which is the third Improbable Associate Artist project (after The Pirate Project and No Idea). Improbable enjoy to nurture and develop talent and these Associate Artist projects enable the company to support those artists who are central to the Improbable creative process. These Associate Artist projects are always separate and distinct Associate Artist-led projects but they stem organically from a genuine creative and administrative partnership with Improbable.

The Bear is a devised show where Angela Clerkin and Guy Dartnell tell the story of an everyday murder and a mythic bear. A funny, challenging and beautiful show about a woman going in search of her bear and the transformative power of anger.

In addition to being an Artist and Writer, Angela is also a solicitor's clerk. She works with the defence team during criminal trials. It's a job that brings her face to face with the fall out from anger, rage and desperation.

The Bear is a story of murder.

In the cells under the Old Bailey, Angela meets her client. He claims to be innocent. “The Bear did it:” He's obviously lying. Or mad. This is London after all. Without quite knowing why, Angela finds herself hunting the bear. Until she discovers the bear is hunting her.

The Bear is a 'whoddunit' with a strong narrative, using personal histories to tell global tales, images when words aren't enough and improvisation to unleash the untold and unlikely.

The 1940’s Film Noir aesthetic will help to create a rich theatrical world and will feature strongly throughout the piece. With a transformative and imaginative set design from Rae Smith, partial images and shadows will create a dangerous and alluring atmosphere. Composer Nick Powell will create a score to help support the narration and crank up the tension to screaming level.

The Noir action will be inter-dispersed with bear facts, advice on what to do when confronted by a bear, a murder ballad, a revenge attack folk song and a Morecombe & Wise style breakfast scene dance.

Common misconceptions about Bears:

Myth: Shooting or relocating a 'nuisance' bear will solve the problem

Fact: Removing the bear and not the attractant will only create an opportunity for another bear to move in, creating a vicious cycle of conflict and killing...