If you haven’t heard of Owdyado Theatre then make sure you look out for them this spring.

Pronounced like an informal way of saying “how do you do”, this new young Penryn-based company made up of Daniel Richards and Charlotte Bister are making waves across Cornwall with their unique brand of contemporary theatre.

The company started in 2010, shortly after Dan and Charlotte met touring with Redruth-based Miracle Theatre.

Dan says “We became friends on the Jason tour and quickly realised that we shared the same sense of humour and taste in plays, films and tv”.

“That was when we decided to write a play. Their first show About A Bench came about from a lack of any budget. We devised a piece that only needed one piece of set (a park bench) and wrote ten different stories using the bench as a theme. All the stories used a different theatrical style (naturalism, musical, silent |comedy, surrealism) and this is probably where our love for playing around with forms came from” says Charlotte.

Their second show Wrongdoings and Wake Up Calls at the Stop-Off Motel (about two people who wake up in a motel room with no recollection of the night before) developed this further – blending a whole genre (detective) with classic theatrcial influences and modern film styles that paid homage to films like The Hangover and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

For their third show ‘Owdyado are trying something different while retaining this love for plot twists and filmic influences. Above Bored is their first |psychodrama and it tells the story of two office workers who are being questioned by the police about the recent murder of their boss.

Above Bored is an original drama directed by Simon Harvey (Kneehigh o-region). A captivating two-hander where the actors double as both cops and |suspects, Owdyado present a character-driven piece about two individuals who, on the surface appear to be happy, diligent employees. However, in the midst of the claustrophobia of the |interrogation room and the persistent questioning of two sharp-witted detectives, cracks in their façade begin to appear - cracks that hint at underlying disillusionment and resentment.

“Above Bored is definately another step up from our previous shows. It’s been quite a challange to write, not only because of the twists in it, but also because it’s much more emotionally driven then our last two shows. We are very pleased with it though. Hopefully it will be |gripping to watch.”

Above Bored will be touring across Cornwall starting with a preview show at The Poly, Falmouth on February 15, then from March 1 through Carn To Cove. Full a full list of dates visit www.owdyado.co.uk.

Suggested audience age: 15 plus (Contains some strong language)