“you only arrived here a few moments ago...and now you’re all wearing swimming caps...these people must be your team?"

you are told that in nine minutes and 39 seconds, you will be facing something huge - something you might not normally do, alongside people you may never have met. as the size of the task ahead becomes clear, time stops.

what will you need to know about the people in this room to feel ready to take on the task together? what will you ask, what will you tell, and what difference will any of it make?

as 12 participants sit shoulder-to-shoulder on benches in a swimming pool locker room, it becomes clear that they are part of two worlds. In the first, a coach called Ken is convinced you’re all nine minutes away from a water polo final, and is determined to give you the pep talk of your life. In the second, a playful voice in your ear is helping to make sense of it all, asking you what it feels like to win, asking you to study the veins on a hand that might soon throw you a pass, asking you how you cope with these big moments.

the time out looks at teams and what it means to be part of one. using live sound mixing, projection, secret doors and a treadmill, the show is a conversation between live narrators and 12 potential team mates. you may enter the room as perfect strangers, but can you leave as a team?

the time out is being developed at the National Theatre Studio. other dates include Latitude Festival, 14-17 July 2011 and Forest Fringe, Edinburgh, 15-28 August 2011.

the time out is supported by Arts Council England.