Circus / circus-theatre
Cross-form circus-theatre piece ‘The Wasteground Circus’ makes Bristol debut
Combining theatre and circus, a brand new show produced by TWO WOMEN Productions and developed in conjunction with Bristol’s Grounded Circus and The Invisible Circus, will make its debut in Bristol on July 1-3.
Inspired by Charles Keeping’s picture book of the same name, The Wasteground Circus will include circus acts including cloud-swinging, hand balancing, aerial straps and comic strongmen routines, integrated into the narrative.
It features an ensemble of three actors and four circus performers – three of whom trained at Circomedia – and is intended to thrill, delight, and move audiences in equal measure.
is needed now More than ever
Stephen Chapman as the Circus Boss – The Wasteground Circus – photo: TWO WOMEN Productions
It is 2080 and most of Britain is underwater. Frankie and Lex are best friends, meeting once a week at an abandoned playground. One day, a circus arrives. Despite the sensational strong men, stunning acrobats, and women flying through the air, it is not quite what they expect. When the circus leaves, one of them will never be the same again.
For Rowen Kimpton, Grounded Circus co-founder and one of the circus performers featuring in the show, Bristol is a natural home for it: “Bristol is a beating heart for the circus; the city has a high density of performers and culture, which makes it the perfect place for us to bring the story of The Wasteground Circus to life”.
The show will first be performed at The Invisible Circus venue Unit 15, where it has been developed as part of a Launchpad residency, and rehearsed. It then moves to Heart of BS13 for two outdoor performances at The Roundhouse over the same weekend.
Strongmen, Rowen Kimpton and Jamie Double – The Wasteground Circus – photo: TWO WOMEN Productions
Writer and director, the BAFTA-winning Janys Chambers is hopeful that people will be drawn to the show that do not usually attend theatre. “We hope we have created something that is both thought-provoking and visually exciting,” she says.
“It is a beautiful, rich, multi-faceted story and in production, we are still adapting and evolving it and finding new meaning and layers. This is the magic of live performance, and we can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”
The Wasteground Circus (age recommendation 8+) is indoors at The Invisible Circus’ venue, Unit 15 on July 1 and outdoors at The Roundhouse at Heart of BS13 on July 2-3. For further information and tickets, go to www.twowomentheatre.co.uk.
Main photo: TWO WOMEN Productions
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