About Time You Saw: Adler & GibbBy Gilly Hopper
In preparation for the film role of a lifetime, actor Louise (Cath Whitefield) goes to extreme lengths to unearth the true essence of her character. Her subject is the deceased artist, Janet Adler, who rejected the art world in favour of a private life. A compelling story of misappropriation and legacy, playwright, Tim Crouch first presented Adler & Gibb at the Royal Court Theatre in 2014. Now, in association with The Company Collective, Crouch has condensed his much-praised work into a 90 minute One Act; the result is a crisp and confident addition to Crouch’s canon.
Photography by Richard Lakos
Fictional peers of Warhol, Adler and Gibb were once conceptual artists based in New York, whose career ended with Adler’s death. A biopic of their life is now being made, and actor Louise and her coach Sam (Mark Edel-Hunt) intend to scavenge as much information as possible to develop her character further. Breaking and entering Louise Adler’s home, the pair gain unprecedented access to the late artist’s private life, but coming face to face with Adler’s partner Margaret Gibb (Gina Moxley), and their pet dog – a Whitney Museum cast off – was not on their agenda.
Photography by Richard Lakos
Currently showing at The Unicorn Theatre, Adler & Gibb is a conceptual play of sorts. It is a work filled with quirky ideas and ‘concepts.’ With direction by Andy Smith and Karl James, the actor’s largely present dialogue outward to the audience, floor mics centre performances and a silent child actor is a stand in for various props, pets and… em, a corpse.
From the real to unreal, fake to true and theatre to film, Adler & Gibb marries Crouch’s career-long fascination with form and experimentation.
