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’.
Winner of the Grand Prix of the International Competition at the 2024 Kontrapunkt International Theatre Festival
Nominated for the Off West End Awards’ Best IDEA Production (IDEA: Innovative / Devised / Experiential / Atypical)
★★★★ ‘The wondrous trans tale of Pinocchio… A funny, clever and thoughtful two-hander, rich in playful imagery and direct-to-camera asides, about identity, definition and acceptance… The satire is gentle, but the politics are clear.’
The Guardian
★★★★ ‘More than anything, The Making of Pinocchio testifies to an evolving, continually transforming love between partners, a love for making things and oneself.’
The Stage
The Making of Pinocchio is also available for digital touring. Find out more about the The Making of Pinocchio: Digital Edition.
Events
| Date | Location | More info |
|---|---|---|
|
The Making of Pinocchio 5–9 December 2024 Various times |
Théâtre Les Tanneurs, Brussels, Belgium | Details and tickets |
For more information on this project, please contact Nora Laraki at nora@artsadmin.co.uk or download the touring dossier
| Date | Title | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22–30 November 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | Festival d’Automne, Paris | |
| 13–14 November 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | Moving in November Festival, Helsinki | |
| 3 November 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio: Digital Edition | ARKEN, Copenhagen | |
| 4–5 October 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | Actoral Festival, Marseille | |
| 27–28 September 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | Gessnerallee, Zurich | |
| 6–7 September 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | La Bâtie | Geneva |
| 24–25 May 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | Bristol Old Vic, Mayfest | Bristol |
| 17 May 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio: Digital Edition | The Segal Theatre Center | New York |
| 15–16 May 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | Rosendal Teater | Trondheim |
| 8 May 2024 | Relaxed Conversations: Creating and touring relaxed performances | Online | |
| 22–23 April 2024 | The Making of Pinocchio | Teatr Polski, Kontrapunkt Festival | Szczecin |
| 1–10 November 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Battersea Arts Centre | London |
| 24–25 October 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Muffathalle | SPIELART Festival, Munich |
| 27–28 September 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Künstlerhaus Mousonturm | Frankfurt |
| 13–16 September 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Brisbane Powerhouse | Brisbane Festival |
| 1–2 July 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Festival Theaterformen | Hannover |
| 25–27 May 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Festival TransAmériques | Montréal |
| 10–11 May 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Auawirleben Theaterfestival | Bern |
| 14–15 April 2023 | The Making of Pinocchio | Sophiensæle | Berlin |
| 12–13 November 2022 | The Making of Pinocchio | Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II, Alkantara Festival | Lisbon |
| 28 October 2022 | The Making of Pinocchio | Tramway | Glasgow |
| 19–20 October 2022 | The Making of Pinocchio | Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts | Brighton |
| 12–13 October 2022 | The Making of Pinocchio | Midlands Arts Centre, Fierce Festival | Fierce Festival, Birmingham |
| 29 June – 2 July 2022 | The Making of Pinocchio | Battersea Arts Centre, as part of LIFT 2022 | London |
| 12–14 May 2022 | The Making of Pinocchio | Kampnagel | Hamburg |
| 4 March 2022 | The Making of Pinocchio: Digital Edition | Warehouse9 | Copenhagen |
| 21 May 2021 | The Making of Pinocchio | Take Me Somewhere | |
| 21–22 February 2015 | Walking: Holding | Home and Away - London, Maison Folie | Mons |
