Company Info
Potential Difference Theatre is a company limited by guarantee (no 08674697) and a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1166204).
Our registered office is 160 Wynford Road, London N1 9SW
Potential Difference was sparked by a curiosity shared by director Russell Bender and writer Rose Lewenstein. Russell and Rose were fascinated by the idea of 'emergence' - the way complex patterns can emerge out of simple rules. Why is an ant colony can be so sophisticated when one ant is such a simple creature?
Experimenting in workshops at East 15 Acting School and the National Theatre Studio led to Game of Life, which ran at The Yard in 2012. Thrilled with audience responses, Russell was excited to explore more ideas from science with theatre, and so Potential Difference was born.
Since 2013, the company has developed and produced work at Battersea Arts Centre, Cambridge Junction, Ovalhouse, Southwark Playhouse, The Lowry, the Actors Church in Covent Garden, and The Old Fire Station, Oxford.
The company has led talks, seminars and workshops for Kings College Maths School, The Open University, the University of Essex, and the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, and delivered projects in primary schools in three London boroughs.
Potential Difference also provides creative technology consultancy and app development to other artists and theatre companies.
In much of our work, we look for new ways to incorporate technology into live performance to reflect on how stories are being told today - and find new approaches too.
Potential Difference has developed iPhone and Android apps, implemented custom video streaming solutions, developed innovative augmented reality projects and set up high performance closed WiFi networks for audience members.
Our aim is for the technology to become a fully integrated part of the work. As developers, we want to gain a full understanding of the theatrical experience intended for the audience, and develop the technology from there. As theatre-makers, we work responsively alongside artists' processes, time-frames, and budgets.
If you are interested in knowing more about this side of our work and whether we might be able to help your project, please get in touch.
Russell is a theatre director, producer, dramaturg and creative technologist. His work as a director includes FRAGMENTS (Playground Theatre / Old Fire Station), FAIR FIELD (commissioned by Shoreditch Town Hall / Ledbury Poetry Festival), NO DOGS, NO INDIANS by Siddhartha Bose (commissioned by Brighton Festival, Southbank Centre, Live Theatre, Newcastle), DARKNET by Rose Lewenstein (Southwark Playhouse), KISS OF THE EARTH (Concert Theatre, 25 venue UK tour), THE SHROUD by Siddhartha Bose (Rich Mix / Norfolk and Norwich Festival), GAME OF LIFE by Rose Lewenstein (The Yard). Russell was Creative Associate at multi award-winning arts producers Penned in the Margins from 2015-22.
Kendall is a theatre producer and arts fundraiser. She has been Associate Producer with Potential Difference since 2016. Kendall has worked with individual artists and organisations including Convergence (music + art + technology festival), Village Underground, Sophie Woolley, Di Mainstone and Tonic Theatre, Actors Touring Company and Told by an Idiot.
Rose is a writer for stage and screen. Plays include: COUGAR (Orange Tree); DARKNET (Southwark Playhouse); NOW THIS IS NOT THE END (Arcola); GAME OF LIFE (Yard); ONLY HUMAN (Theatre503); ENTRIES ON LOVE (Rich Mix) and AIN'T NO LAW AGAINST FISH AND CHIPS (Royal Court Young Writers’ Festival). Her play Psychoslut was featured in the Women@RADA series. Rose is developing a number of TV projects including an adaptation of best-selling novel THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary for (42/BBC); and an adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s SEX LIVES OF SIAMESE TWINS (Buccaneer Media). As well as writing for the screen, Rose composes original songs and performs in the cult comedy cabaret act The Sex Shells.
Henry is a freelance web developer, data scientist and creative technologist with a background in fine art. He's currently a freelance consultant and has recently published a book on data science &machine learning. He also helps artists realise their creative visions with technology. He's done so in locations as diverse as the Tate Britain, Great Eastern Hotel and the Cicely Saunders Institute. For Potential Difference he was lead developer on Android based video streaming technology used for DARKNET, and on the cross platform mobile app developed for STILL.
Potential Difference Theatre is a company limited by guarantee (no 08674697) and a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1166204).
Our registered office is 160 Wynford Road, London N1 9SW