No Fit State Circus

Contemporary circus combines live music, dance, stage design, text, and film with traditional circus skills. It is rooted in the travelling community who turn up, pitch a tent, drum up an audience, and then leave with only flattened grass and a memory to show they were ever there. The circus are the strangers who live amongst us – and if we run away to join them we are throwing off our inhibitions, our conventions, the rules of settled society. We are taking to the road knowing that there is no destination - only a journey.

Today, NoFit State is the UK’s leading large-scale contemporary circus company, producing professional touring productions and a wide variety of community, training, and education projects for people of all ages. Over the last ten years NoFit State's touring productions have visited 19 different countries, played to audiences of over 460,000, as well as receiving critical acclaim and winning numerous prestigious international arts awards.

Queens of the Coal Age - Royal Exchange Theatre + New Vic Theatre

By Maxine Peake

Directed by Bryony Shanahan

“WE ARE WOMEN AGAINST PIT CLOSURES AND WE’RE OCCUPYING THIS PIT”

Anne, Elaine, Dot and Lesley. Four ordinary women, facing the closure of their community. It’s 1993 and the Parkside Colliery pit may be winding down, but they’re not giving up.

Their bras stuffed with contraband, they take a tour of the pit and refuse to come up. Settling into the depths of the mine, making tissue roses and walking imaginary dogs, they face bribery and threats. But as they dig in, those up top start to realise these ladies are not for turning.

This powerful play full of Northern wit by Maxine Peake follows on from the critically-acclaimed Beryl, and tells the true story of four women taking a stand in the face of a changing world.

Around The World in 80 days - New Vic Theatre & Tour

CIRCOLUMBIA - Circus Photography

Here is some live performance photography from a show by CIRCOLUMBIA that I photographed recently...

From the New Vic Theatre website:

Circolombia’s Acéléré is a circus and a live concert rolled into one. Creating an experience like no other, a phenomenal cast of performers take it in turns to flip through the air at dizzying heights and perform insane feats of strength, whilst simultaneously singing and dancing their way through the night.

Performing in Kidsgrove as part of Circus Past, Present and Future, Circolombia come to our town as part of their European tour, fresh from dates in Amsterdam and Helsinki. Celebrating 250 years of circus in the town where its inventor – Philip Astley – was born, this is your chance to see unique circus stunts performed by this inspirational South American circus company in a rare UK appearance.

Be prepared to be on your feet and dancing along to the upbeat live music as you experience breathtaking circus skills in this thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience!

TREASURE ISLAND - Performance Photography: New Vic Theatre

Following on from last year’s spectacular adaptation of The Snow Queen, this Christmas we set sail on the high seas to bring to life a classic tale of buccaneers and buried gold in our stunning trademark style. Filled with swashbuckling sword fights, live-on-stage music, humour, puppetry and lots of excitement, this is the perfect festive treat for the whole family!

1750, Sleepy Cove. Tired of the quiet life, Gem dreams of adventure and excitement. When a mysterious stranger comes to stay at The Admiral Benbow Inn, she believes her luck is about to change.

And so begins an epic journey. A journey filled with pirates and possibilities; buried treasure and blue horizons; seafarers and scallywags. And in the middle of it all, a good-hearted cook called Long John Silver – but is he friend or foe?

As Gem helps search for treasure on faraway shores, meeting larger than life characters along the way, she discovers there’s far more to a life of adventure than she ever imagined.

PLAYHOUSE CREATURES - Performance Photography: New Vic Theatre

1663. Charles II reopens the Playhouses and for the first time, allows women to take to the stage.

For four women, this signals the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. On stage, the women become household names; behind-the-scenes, they develop strong friendships and fierce rivalries. As the camaraderie and chaos of the dressing room ignites their ambitions to play a bigger part in the theatre, can the women stick together to negotiate greater roles? And will their new-found fame bring with it better fortunes?

This vivacious comedy takes us backstage in a Restoration playhouse to celebrate a bold moment in the history of modern theatre. Telling the story with bawdy comedy, theatrical flair and emotional poignancy, April De Angelis’ Playhouse Creatures will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.