Michael Brady has been philosophical advisor for two theatre productions, with the Manchester-based theatre group Quarantine. The first, in 2009, was called Make-Believe, and concerned the epistemic issues of belief, faith and fiction. The show was originally made at Contact Theatre in Manchester, and then toured to Leeds, Taunton, Warwick, Lancaster, Exeter, and Bristol. The show was very successful; it received a 4-star review in The Guardian, with the paper’s chief theatre correspondent, Lyn Gardner, writing: “This is beautiful work, delivered like a new-born baby into the world with discoveries to make and places to go.”

The second show is called Entitled, and concerns hope, disappointment, and expectation. His collaborative work stemmed from his 2010 Aristotelian Society publication ‘Disappointment’. The show debuted at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and was part of the British Council Showcase at the Edinburgh Arts Festival. It has toured to Groningen in the Netherlands, Newcastle, Bath, and will tour to Sadler’s Wells in London, Lincoln, Aberystwyth, Leicester, and Lancaster. The show has received 4-star reviews in The Guardian and The Times. Lyn Gardner of the former wrote:“Entitled defies all expectation even as it plays with the expectations we all have about our lives or theatre itself. The show – itself a gap – examines the gap between expectation and disappointment, between how we present ourselves and who we really are, between the real and the invented, between performer and audience. It's not dry, nor does it feel like navel-gazing. It hums with quiet honesty, unflashy reveals, tender regrets and risk-taking.” The Times reviewer wrote: "There's something special here as Quarantine tries to reach into areas of the theatrical experience other companies ignore." Dr Brady was invited to two discussion events in conjunction with the show: the first, on ‘Hope’, took place at the Royal Exchange in July; the second, on the process of collaboration with Quarantine, took place Northern Stage in Newcastle in September.

Quarantine Theatre Group's Webpage

Michael Brady's Homepage

First published: 28 November 2011

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