stan

STAN is a small man with a big mouth. He's not afraid to say what's on his mind, or on your mind. He is the Anti-New Man. Loud. Aggressive. Unapologetic. But his abrasive exterior also hides something more fragile - the small boy inside, lost, alone, confused and frightened.

STAN is in some way a reaction to modern 'civilised' man. The man who has suppressed his basic urges, who censors his primal animal instincts. The man who is emasculated by modern, powerful Independent Woman, who at the same time as demanding his dicklessness, despises him for it.

The cracks in STAN's Psyche are sometimes revealed through moments of self reflection - "Do you ever feel like you're being manipulated?" He asks the audience. "It's fucking weird!" STAN chooses to live in denial about the fact that he's a puppet, unwilling to deal with the horror of this reality.

Although unashamed to express his bile and anger, STAN represses his spiritual and intellectual sides. He is only able to give voice to these sentiments through his own small finger-puppet, Alias – a Mystic, Hypnotist and womanizer. "As you travel through your life, whatever be your goal, focus on the donut, and not upon the hole," he croons into STAN's ear. Alias can appear when STAN is at his lowest - to offer support, spiritual advice, and to put STAN under deep hypnosis where he comes face to face with his own demons...


Jim Barnard was born in London in 1970, where he graduated from the London School of Contemporary Dance in 1993. Since 1994 he has been based in Amsterdam and has worked extensively in the creation and performance of more than 25 theater projects as dancer, actor and puppeteer. Collaborators include Ron Bunzl (Cloud Chamber, Voices Of The City), Jeremy Xido (Cabula6), Eduardo Paiva and Ulrike Quade (Quade & Paiva), Arthur Rosenfeld and Anna Texido (The Meekers) Paul Selwyn Norton (No Apology), Hans Hof Ensemble and Nanine Linning.