The Making of Pinocchio

Cade & MacAskill

A true tale of love and transition told through the story of Pinocchio.

Set in a fictional film studio, you are invited to go behind the scenes of Cade & MacAskill’s creative process and their relationship, and question what it takes to tell your truth.

Artists and lovers Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill have been creating The Making of Pinocchio since 2018, alongside and in response to Ivor’s gender transition. In this ‘funny, clever and thoughtful two-hander, rich in playful imagery’ (The Guardian) their tender and complex autobiographical experience meets the magical story of the lying puppet who wants to be a ‘real boy’.

With an ingenious scenography designed by Tim Spooner, layered with sound by Yas Clarke, lights by Jo Palmer and cinematography from Kirstin McMahon and Jo Hellier, the show constantly shifts between fantasy and authenticity, humour and intimacy, on stage and on screen.

This “ravishingly beautiful’ (The Arts Desk) show is for anyone seeking to explore the sheer joy and limitless potential of queer imagination. Audiences called it ‘unmissable’, ‘breath-taking’, ‘phenomenal’, ‘showstopping’ and ‘the queer love story of the year’.

Cade & MacAskill are Rosana Cade (they/them) and Ivor MacAskill (he/him): renowned queer artists and facilitators based in Glasgow, Scotland. Their work, together and individually, straddles the worlds of experimental contemporary theatre, live art, queer cabaret, film, children’s performance, site specific, and socially engaged practices.

Their collaboration is born from a shared love of subversive humour, experimentation with persona and text, playful theatricality, and the joy they find in improvising together. They also share a passion for LGBTQIA+ rights and culture. They create strange, rich aesthetic worlds on stage, with unique sonic elements embedded into their work due to ongoing collaboration with sound artist and designer Yas Clarke.

Spoken language: English / Subtitles: Dutch

Created by: Rosana Cade Ivor MacAskill

Directed by: Rosana Cade Ivor MacAskill

Performed by: Rosana Cade Ivor MacAskill Jo Hellier Moa Johansson Tim Spooner Ray Gammon

Stage Design: Tim Spooner

Costumes: Tim Spooner

Props: Tim Spooner

Sound Design: Yas Clarke

Sound Design & Mixing: Yas Clarke Riwa Saab PJ Davy

Live Camera: Jo Hellier Moa Johansson

Light Design: Jo Palmer

Light: Meghan Hodgson Marty Langthorne

Company Manager: Ray Gammon An*dre Neely

Cinematography: Kirstin McMahon Jo Hellier

Produced by: Artsadmin

Production manager: Sorcha Stott-Strzala

Assistant Stage Manager: Ray Gammon

Outside Eye: Nic Green

Movement Coach: Eleanor Perry

Coproduction: Fierce FestivalKampnagel (Hamburg)Tramway (Glasgow)Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER (Gent)

Commissioned by: Fierce Festival, Kampnagel, Tramway & Viernulvier with support from Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Battersea Arts Centre, LIFT and Take Me Somewhere.

Funded by: Creative Scotland, Arts Council England and Rudolf Augstein Stiftung with development support from The Work Room/Diane Torr Bursary, Scottish Sculpture Workshop, National Theatre of Scotland, Live Art Development Agency, Gessnerellee, Mousonturm, Forest Fringe, West Kowloon Cultural District & LGBT Health & Wellbeing Scotland.

For full access information please visit DE SINGEL

21–22 November 2025
8–9.20pm

Booking

Tickets €10 - €25
Book now

Venue

DE SINGEL
Desguinlei 25, 2018 Antwerpen
Antwerpen
Belgium
Belgium