founded in 2004 by artistic directors, christopher collins and shane o'reilly, sochop is now in it's fourth year of producing new and controversial works on the contemporary irish stage.
the word 'sochop' is american slang for a party, a dance, a hooley etc. and essentially this is what the company is predicated upon - using the body in new and experimental ways.
this, however, does not suggest that we are a dance company. necessarily not. whilst we incorporate dance into our performances, we are far more concerned with how the body can be used in different ways. and therefore, we have been known to use different techniques as diverse as stylised choreography (macbeth 11/08) to ritual movements (the island 12/07) whilst in performance.
we also believe in the theatre's power as an educational forum to discuss matters that are of national and global concern. whilst this is nothing new, the company prides itself on discussing issues that are taboo, swept under the carpet - recognised but never talked about. and so productions such as find me (11/08) and boxed (05/07) were infamous for directly dealing with topical issues that affect us all.
further, the company recognise that new writing is the lifeblood of theatre practice. and so, we aim to produce one new piece of writing every year. we have also commissioned new pieces of work and employ a full time writer in residence.