Made in China.
Sold in Britain.
Worn by you.
From the factory floor to the catwalk, from Shanghai to London, World Factory weaves together stories of people connected by the global textile industry.
Riffing on our awareness of mass production and vulture capitalism, Zoë Svendsen and Simon Daw invite you to play a provocative game. Which card will you draw? Will you be an ethical factory owner? Or will profits always come first? In the rag trade, can anyone ever really win?
Featuring stunning video and a powerful score, World Factory is a thought-provoking investigation of fast fashion.
STOP! Don't worry, you don't have to act, or get involved in the show. But you do shape the show that is performed around you with the decisions you make. It's like a choose your own adventure game with the twist of it being a live show!
Presented by METIS in co-production with The New Wolsey Theatre, Young Vic and Company of Angels.
Suitable for ages 14+
Part theatre, part documentary, part adventure game, World Factory is as varied as the garments these factories produce. It’s also one of those productions that so closely engages its audience in a specific and personal moment that any attempt to capture that essence on paper is never going to fully explore the piece without entering into spoilers.
most engaging theatre I've been to. many congratulations to all involved, can't wait for the next one - maybe on food production?
Julie
This is a unique experience! I went on my own though I would particularly recommend it to a group of 4 -6 friends because you sit at a table and make team decisions about the running of your imaginary textile factory in China. Your decisions always have consequences. As well as the dramatic and informative input, it is like participating in a game. It really is great fun.
Jill
You sit at tables and chairs arranged where the stage normally is. The normal seating is unused. People at each table play the role of managers of a textile factory which could be anywhere, making decisions according to events and various crises as they arise. There are a few roving actors and 2 large screens. It reflects the cutthroat competition and unrelenting buy and throw away consumerism that characterise the industry. It reminded me of 'Depot', the similarly groundbreaking event staged by the Mercury a while ago in the old tram shed in Magdalen Street. The Wolsey have taken a gamble with this and I hope it gets plenty of people going.
Brian Light