GOlive is a dance and performance festival curated by the arts journalist Donald Hutera (The Times, Run Riot) and produced by George Sallis, founder of the Giant Olive Theatre. It launched in autumn 2013 as an eclectic, intimate and playfully unpredictable platform for dance-based and other work by performing artists of all stripes. GOlive’s base has been the Lion and Unicorn pub theatre in Kentish Town, which is also where the latest and laboratorial edition is opening this weekend through June 18.
 
Hutera will be hosting each evening during a nine-night season that embraces everything from text-based theatre (Peta Lily’s Imperfection, June 8 and 9) to a live sonic experiment (Music-in-Motion, June 14 and 15) made in collaboration with the conductor John Landor and violinist Milan Berginc. But, once again, the spotlight will be on dance and movement with special emphasis on the work of women spanning the generations.
 
‘The current cultural climate in British dance these days is that there are loads of female dancers and choreographers,’ says Hutera, ‘but very few who are in such high-profile positions as their male counterparts, or getting similar breaks. I’m not at all excluding my own gender from GOlive. I’ve been working with Shane Shambhu on developing a new solo about his relationship with classical Indian dance, Brian Gillespie of the company B-Hybrid is reviving a solo he made for C-12 Dance Theatre’s Emerge festival and Fred Gehrig (who, like Shane, was part of the first GOlive) is due to pop up a couple of times with a glimpse of his latest creation. Oh, and the delightfully low-tech designer and performer Mamoru Iriguchi is testing out a small but typically tasty piece involving him and film. But the majority of the people showing work are women, from daring young makers like Alice Labant, My Johansson, Gloria Sanvicente Amor and Yukiko Masui to wonderful classical dance veterans Jennifer Jackson and Susie Crow (who dub their joint performances BIG Ballets)  and fearless ‘action-theatre’ improviser – and GOlive mainstay –  Sarah Kent. This pleases me.’
 
Hutera hesitates when asked to cite highlights of his GOlive programme. ‘I don’t want to play favourites,’ he replies, ‘because naturally I have a high regard for everyone in the festival. In truth, I trust my gut instinct most of the time. Some of the work I’m showing I’ve not yet seen, either because it doesn’t exist yet or I just haven’t had the chance to clap my eyes on it live. But, due to the informal, intimate set-up we have in Kentish Town – very much like being in the studio, except it’s a black box with basic lighting – I’m willing to take those risks. In fact, I want to do that. And ask audiences to take a chance with me and, ideally, make some new discoveries.’
 
Hutera, when gently pressed, is able to name some names. ‘I’m so glad to be bringing Hanna Wroblewski’s solo My Heart became this Monster back to GOlive for the third year. It’s – how can I put this? – transcendentally punitive, and she’s tremendous in it! I’m also happy to present two different pieces by Susan Kempster, an interactive solo called My Own Private Movie and Snow, a duet she’s made with the young actor and writer Adam Foster. Susan is one of my ‘mature women’ and an experienced, charismatic performer with whose work needs to be seen more. Snow premiered at Resolution! early this year, as did Mara Vivas’ Triptych. I was so taken with both of them that I asked if they wanted to be In GOlive, and got even more than I bargained for what with Susan’s solo and another by Mara, entitled Trace, that I won’t have seen live until the night I first present it.’
 
There are others artists Hutera wants to big up. ‘Tanio Batzoglou and Vanio Papadelli help kick off GOlive with a nearly full-length physical theatre duet called Candid, about a symbiotic female relationship, that carries quite a punch. Debbie Lee Anthony, a mature artist based outside of London, is performing a brand-new solo plus revival of a duet dating back to the mid-1980s. The dance company Corali will present an indoor taster of a piece being developed for the outdoor performance event I’m concocting for the InTRANSIT Festival later this month. I’ve also invited Miriam Gould to present an expanded version of a voice and theatre-based solo I caught in a BAC ‘scratch’ back in April. And I can’t forget Zoi Dimitriou, whose tucking her own mini-fest inside of GOlive. It’s a series of short improvisations with guest artists including the musician Dominic Murcott and Mata Sakka, formerly a dancer for Sasha Waltz.’
 
As Hutera heads off to attend a tech session, he shares one last piece of good news. ‘After testing the touring waters last year at the University of Winchester, GOlive is going on the road again. We’ve got four nights booked at the Burton Taylor Studio at the Oxford Playhouse in mid-July, and then head back to Winchester – but this time at the Chesil Theatre – for one night the following weekend. There will be more out of town gigs, in large part because I know of so many gifted people whose work deserves to be seen.’
 
GOlive London 2015: GOlab 2
 
June 6
Alice Labant: Je m'appelle Reviens
My Johansson: Negotiating space
Zoi Dimitriou and Mata Sakka: Movement & Resonance
Hanna Wroblewski: My Heart became this Monster
Tania Batzoglou and Vanio Papadelli: Candid
 
June 7
Alice Labant: Je m'appelle Reviens
Zoi Dimitriou and Dominic Murcott: Fives
Mara Vivas : Trace
My Johansson: Negotiating space
Hanna Wroblewski: My Heart became this Monster
Susan Kempster: My Own Private Movie
 
June 8 & 9
Shane Shambhu: My Inside Playground
Peta Lily: Imperfection
 
June 11
Susan Kempster and Adam Foster: Snow
Sarah Kent: IMPROV(e)
Yukiko Masui: Unbox
Miriam Gould: Empty Room
 
June 12
Susan Kempster and Adam Foster: Snow
Sarah Kent: IMPROV(e)
Gloria Sanvicente Amor: I Killed the Queen
Yukiko Masui: Unbox
Mara Vivas: Trace
 
June 14
Fred Gehrig: new work
Debbie Lee Anthony: Threshold
Zoi Dimitriou: Marching Bands
Brian Gillespie: Interconnection
Susan Kempster: My Own Private Movie
Milan Berginc and John Landor: Music-in-Motion  
 
June 15
Debbie Lee Anthony: Threshold
Debbie Lee Anthony and Neil Fisher: Bette Revisited
My Johansson: Sȃl ȏ dȃg
Brian Gillespie: Interconnection
Milan Berginc and John Landor: Music-in-Motion
 
June 18
Fred Gehrig: new work
Mamoru Iriguchi: 4D Cinema: Screen 2
Jennifer Jackson and Susie Crow (BIG Ballets): inflect, unravel
Mara Vivas: Triptych  
Alice Labant: Je m'appelle Reviens
Corali Dance Company:  new work
Hanna Wroblewski: My Heart became this Monster
 

GOLive
7.30pm, 6-18 June 2015
Lion & Unicorn Pub Theatre
42-44 Gaisford Street
London NW5 2ED.
£10, £5 (concs). Cash only please.
Each evening will last approximately 2 hours.
More info: lionandunicorntheatre.com