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The Making of Pinocchio

Cade & MacAskill

There are two people facing each other against a fake wooden backdrop, wearing fake wooden outfits with real wooden appendages, which are joined at the nose
Photo by Tiu Makkonen

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’.

“The Making of Pinocchio is a wonderfully playful, complex, bold, courageous, and deeply moving story about transformation and potential”
Everything Theater

Part of It’s The Real Thing Festival in Basel, Switzerland.

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.

Following the performance on 26th of March, there will be a discussion with the artists.

Audio description during the performance on 27 March.

Created by: Rosana Cade & Ivor MacAskill

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

Set, Prop & Costume Designer: Tim Spooner

Sound Designer: Yas Clarke

Sound/AV Technician and show operator: Riwa Saab

Cameras: Jo Hellier & Moa Johansson

Lighting Designer: Jo Palmer

Relighter: Meghan Hodgson, Marty Langthorne

Cinematographer: Kirstin McMahon & Jo Hellier

Produced by: Dr. Nora Laraki & Nene Camara for Artsadmin

Creation produced by: Mary Osborn for Artsadmin

Production Manager: Sorcha Stott-Strzala

Assistant Stage Manager: Ray Gammon

Outside Eye: Nic Green

Movement advisor: Eleanor Perry

Captioning: Collective Text, Rosana Cade, Ivor MacAskill & Jamie Rea

Caption Design: Yas Clarke & Daniel Hughes

Produced by: Artsadmin

Date and time

26–27 March 2026
Thu 26th March, 8pm
Fri 27th March, 6pm

Duration: Approx 90 minutes
Following the performance on 26th of March, there will be a discussion with the artists.

Audio descriptions are available during the performance on 27 March.


Booking

Tickets: CHF 15
Book now

Venue

ROXY Birsfelden
Basel
Poland

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