Starting next month and running through to the year 2000, Britain's David Glass Ensemble will embark on an international theatrical co-production on the theme of lost children. Entitled The Lost Child Trilogy, the three plays, performed over three years, will combine the skills of actors, dancers, musicians and afflicted children themselves in a combination of visual, physical and musical theatre.

The first play in the trilogy, The Hansel Gretel Machine, is loosely based on the Grimms' fairy tale and tells of the rejection, abandonment and survival of two children. The play will open at London's South Bank Centre on Wednesday, 11 March 1998 for four appearances only before an extensive British tour. After that, it will travel to various countries including China, Columbia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Director David Glass is one of the foremost exponents of physical theatre in Britain today. A renowned solo artist, he formed the David Glass Ensemble in 1989. Productions have included Popeye, Bozo's Dead and the cult classic Gormenghast.

For further information, contact the South Bank Centre box office on 44-171-960-4242.

--By Terri Paddock
What's On Stage, London