Shows at Zoo

The past year's been a bit rough, hasn't it? At times, it's felt like the world has been slowly unravelling, a ball of string hurtling down a hill in painful slow motion, all of us clutching the frayed end of the roll as if that were helping. The future is murky and uncertain. But we say: sod that. Let's make joy! Let's feel our way into the future with blind and trusting hands. Part theatre, part dance party, part funeral, Celebration aims to give anyone who can't quite believe the world they live in something to believe in.

PreScribed (a Life Written for Me) examines the mental impact of being a GP whilst the NHS melts down. An emotive show from performance artist Viv Gordon, using dance, verbatim text from GPs on the brink, jelly and tennis balls. Gordon takes us on a trip to the doctor that reveals an underbelly fraught with burnout, caffeine and an overdose of Beethoven. Made with original research undertaken at the University of Bristol, looking into improving understanding and access to support for GPs living with mental illness.

She's standing in what used to be her bedroom. She's come back to reclaim what she buried. The car waits outside. Debt, eviction, childhood and the thing under the floorboards. What remains, long after you've paid it off. From multi award-winning company Barrel Organ, Anyone's Guess How We Got Here is a road trip. A haunted house. A bedtime story. A photo album. An 80s fantasy film. A demolition project. A riot. Commissioned by and developed at Camden People's Theatre, with support from Manchester Royal Exchange. 'This young company are the future' (Lyn Gardner).

Z works in an office. Z wants to keep her job. It's her safe place, her happy place; there's just one thing that's getting in the way: her work. Z must work harder to keep what she wants, but it's slipping out of her hands, and it's spiralling out of control. Z must think fast and act even quicker, but her reality and her TV are blurring, and it's hard to know which is real and which is not. Is she insane? Is she an alcoholic? Or is she just really bad at her job?

The war breaks out. Juan, a young private, and the virile Captain Fidel Castra are stranded alone in the most complete solitude, far from the front line. The enemy is approaching... They are awaiting the orders... The show alternates intense violent moments with lighter poetical instants in the style of comic trash. It is a politically incorrect and caustic show that involves the art of pantomime and plays on different genres; burlesque and art performance. Not to be missed!

Sam wants to tell you about five encounters he had on Craigslist. This is a chance for you to get to know him. This is a show performed by one person who needs an audience to tell his story. This is a show about one person's self-sabotaged attempts to know those around him, that considers whether a group of people in a darkened room can ever get to know each other. Desperately hilarious and achingly bleak; a tender questioning of our attempts to encounter each other in a technologized world.

An honest, raw and hilarious exposé of a life pitted against constant news stories of potential war, terrorist attacks and deadly viruses. (FEAR) will leave you asking if society ever wanted us to feel safe. Expect a tour of early childhood memories, public information films and a man facing a midlife crisis in full confessional mode. Mr and Mrs Clark follow up their Amnesty International shortlisted show, Smash It Up, with another performance questioning the way we live. 'We certainly all felt much better after spending an hour with this extraordinary entertainer' (Theatre-Wales.co.uk). Supported by Chapter Arts Centre.

A man sits alone in a cage, starving himself for your entertainment. A 'beautifully imagined' (CultureBot.org), darkly comic adaptation of the Kafka story by acclaimed Brooklyn-based company Sinking Ship. 'Talented!' (New York Times). 'Splendid!' (Time Out). Once cheered by thousands, the Hunger Artist is now forgotten by everyone except his one-time manager. What begins as a simple nostalgic story transforms into a startlingly inventive trip into the nature of memory, art, performance and spectatorship, as told by the only person who remembers an artist whose act was simply... to hunger.

If you could send a mixtape to outer space on behalf of planet Earth, what would be on it? Right now there's a golden record hurtling through space. It's about you, me and the universe. It's a mixtape of humanity, a collection of songs, sounds and pictures from Earth, a valentine from the human race to whoever or whatever finds it. A science-fact love story. Two ordinary people look out into the universe and find the most human thing: love. 'An engaging and cleverly constructed piece of theatre' (TheReviewsHub.com).

In a large and sophisticated house lives Alice and her family. Bright and airy rooms; except the one where at night rests the child whose body is in transition between the naive girl and the impetuous woman. She confronts herself with her own ghosts, coming to question if this world is really the Wonderland. Alice is us. Naked before the world, thrown into it to face it.

Viki jumps into a bush. She isn’t coping. Welcome to her sequin-encrusted world. Rats wear capes, butters race and you're invited to dance in the disco of dirty secrets. Help! is about falling apart, pulling yourself together and being surprised by what you're left with. It is for anyone who's ever struggled. 'Truly uplifting, something which brings humanity in all its vulnerability to the fore and offers a real and tangible sense of hope.' (Express & Echo). 'One woman in a leotard bringing attention to that big silver elephant in the room' (Bristol247.com). Bristol Old Vic Ferment Scratch Commission.

Offstage a cassette is taken out of its box and put into the player. The music crackles and she bounds on to stage. With hairspray in her saliva, she dances on an uneven floor. The air is wet, her hair drips. She is drowning in a moment. Unpacking personal experiences involving children’s dance competitions, How to Drown a Fish dissects the point when it all goes wrong. Inspired by a moment of failure, we watch a girl with a hairspray-fixed smile do her best to stay afloat. Supported by Camden People's Theatre.

The Concrete Jungle Book is a brand-new piece of hip hop theatre that catapults Rudyard Kipling's classic story and characters into the streets of inner-city Britain. As the jungle's trees become tower blocks, Mo(wgli) navigates his way through relationships, unstable housing conditions and hostile creatures, trying to find the father figure he has always longed for. With live rap music, spoken word and high-energy physicality, HighRise Theatre present The Jungle Book like you've never imagined.

A man finds himself alone in the mountains. He has come here to run away from everything and everyone he knows. Tormented by grief that originated in the loss of a dear one, he is unable to process these feelings and decides to seek the answers in the stillness of nature. Romantika (Sweden/UK) presents a surreal and humorous journey, exploring men's reluctance to express their emotions, with specific focus on grief. Contrasting comedy with tragedy, and realism with surrealism, the production includes visual and physical theatre, live folk music, and a set and lighting design inspired by Scandinavian landscapes. 

'They've given me six weeks. Like the summer holidays. Except I won't be going back after this one. Six weeks until the end... and we're gonna f*cking make the most of it.' Seventeen-year-old Jacob and Tommy are ordinary teenage boys with an ordinary friendship, who happen to find themselves in a rather extraordinary situation. Why? Because Jacob is dying. A comedy drama exploring the wonder of teenage friendship and youthful positivity, even when the odds are set against you. This isn't a story about death. It's a story about life, friendship and a funeral.

Deep in the mountains, the irrepressible Peer Gynt dreams of becoming emperor of the world. From the frozen peaks of Norway to the dusty streets of Egypt, one man spends a life understanding what it means to be at war with trolls. Peer Gynt is a sprawling, cinematic saga of mountains and monsters, revealing an intimate story of love, sin and dangerous ambition. With its distinctive combination of puppetry, live music and ensemble movement, Gruffdog Theatre brings a fierce intensity to Henrik Ibsen's poetic classic. 'Electric' ***** (Cherwell, 2016).

This part-choreographed, part-improvised piece explores the Japanese phenomenon of death through overwork: Karuoshi. What brings large swathes of Japanese society to dance on the edge of existence and mortality? Shoko Seki tests the ethical penumbra of long-respected societal truths: self-sufficiency, loyalty and trust. In the world's most connected society, how can an individual fall off the grid? Join this intimate piece that flits between beautiful Japanese tradition, emotive contemporary dance and a sprinkle of improvised musical play!

Set in Eastern Berlin (1989) and the Calais Jungle refugee camp (2016), Walls intercuts the true stories of young people who have been denied freedom by political and physical borders. In Berlin, we see a girl attempt to cross the Berlin Wall from east to west; in Calais, we follow the story of an Afghan boy who is trying to reach his family in the UK. Incorporating an array of physical ensemble movement, storytelling and live music, Walls is a visual whirlwind that has a lasting message about humanity. Winner at the London Student Drama Festival (2017).

The untold story of the world's first murderer. After murdering his brother in cold blood, we meet Cain, living out his life exiled from his homeland. Afflicted by his memories and haunted by figures of the past, Cain must now retrace his steps back to Eden in pursuit of answers. Origins is a psychological thriller that plunges deep into the heart of darkness, where movement, sound and rhythm fuse to create a physically pulsating stage adventure. Journey into the landscapes of dream and reality, and confront life's primeval questions of faith, death and immortality.

Children have always believed that monsters lurk underneath the bed. As they get older, they forget that monsters really do exist. Sam locked these creatures away and, in all that time, they stayed hidden and grew stronger until, one day, Sam is plunged into a world of monsters, misfits and an evil that waits in the shadows. With an explosive physical theatre cast, Echo Echo Echo tells the tale of the darkness within each of us that lurks just below the surface.

An examination of why it is Millennials seem to think no one's really listening, Child's Play punctuates the re-telling of a protest with explosive spoken word interrogations of what it means to be twenty-something, over-educated, and suspicious of almost everything. Tidying away the detritus at the end of a demo, sharing out leftover sweets, and giving vent to a generation's spleen, Child's Play is for anyone who's ever met, is, or is mystified by, a Millennial. Hopefully you'll find it enlightening, maybe you’ll just have some Haribo. You don't have to agree, but maybe you should listen.

‘Ludens are ones to watch out for’ **** (Mary Brennan, Herald). ‘A compelling, highly intelligent retelling of the famous story’ **** (Edinburgh49.org). A dramatic canvas of living images drawing upon the silent film era, creating a fearless interpretation of Macbeth’s rapid rise to power and even more precipitous fall. Three actors portray all the characters – transforming Shakespeare's language into potent visual imagery and a darkly brooding sound world. No spoken words. Performed at the Manipulate Visual Theatre Festival (Traverse Theatre). Organised by the Cyprus High Commission Cultural Section. Funded by Pafos 2017, European Capital of Culture.

Heat, sweat and noise – same madness, new century. Fortitude Dance Theatre retell Shakespeare's classic in the haze and noise of 1989 Manchester. This original physical theatre performance combines poetry, dance and movement to explore the timeless themes of Macbeth, while telling a unique and personal story between the expanse of the Manchester Moors and the hot dancefloor of the Hacienda nightclub. Expect magic, murder, greed and blood.

UCLU Runaground presents a fantastical retelling of Roald Dahl's classic children’s novel. The adaptation is very true to the book, which remains one of the country’s favourite children’s stories. The tale follows James Henry Trotter as he encounters giant talking insects, wicked aunts and travels across the Atlantic in a humongous peach. The tale will be brought to life with the use of elaborate costumes, mesmerizing puppetry, physical theatre and live folk music.

A domestic horror by Neil Smith. 'A play that makes you want to shout "Run!" at the stage' (Stage). In an isolated cottage, deep in the English countryside, John makes a surprise visit to Helene, whom he abandoned nine years ago. As a storm rages outside, a nine-year-old girl looks on. Silently. Not making a sound... Echoes follows Living Record’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015 production of Neil Smith's debut play, Reunion: ‘An unmissable play on the Fringe’ (FringeReview.co.uk). ‘Suffocatingly intimate’ (EdFringeReview.com). ‘A joy to watch’ (BroadwayBaby.com).

Based on a true story, Ash explores the life of George Crozier and his journey from his first to his last cigarette. Set against a backdrop of the tobacco industry’s ever-changing advertisements, this humorous and sensitive production uses object manipulation, movement and live music to explore the highs and lows of a lifelong love affair with smoking. Up until the last puff, it’s an addictive story of a Yorkshire community that aren’t planning to quit anytime soon. ‘The ensemble as a whole is connected and playful, and in performance there isn’t a weak link in the team’ **** (RemoteGoat.com).

A Bolton pub. One stag do. One hen do. Two strippers forced to share a dressing room. For Darren, a local lad, this will be his first full strip. For Nina, an international student at Manchester, it’s just another stag to pay off her student loans. Over the course of this claustrophobic 50-minute drama, these two strangers descend into a territory that leaves the audience feeling as exposed as they are. A Fringe debut for Anglo-American Fandango Productions, this play explores gender and sexual politics and the inequality that affects us all today.

I, Who Have Hands More Innocent, is a paraphrased verse of a poem by Vesna Parun (1922-2010), the most famous female Croatian poet of all time. This play is a compilation of Vesna's autobiographical texts. The core of this staged meditation gives chilling insight into all existential aspects of a woman's life challenged by the patriarchal men of the Balkans. Vesna was born and raised on one of 1,100 Croatian islands, a true Mediterranean soul. Just as the sea connects the whole world, so her poetry reaches the shores of every human soul. www.ineswurth.com/la2edinburgh

Three plays, two actors, seventy minutes. Offered hard cash to sit for a wealthy photographer, a young man struggles to keep control. A failed academic finds late love – or has he just found a gold-digger? Sharing the dark secret of a celebrity footballer, his housekeeper is torn between loyalty and conscience. In these sharp, funny dramas, love fights for survival in a world of exploitation. ‘Enticing, uplifting, meticulously observed’ ***** (RemoteGoat.com). www.groundswelltheatre.co.uk

After her award-winning performance in This is Where We Live – Best Play, Fringe NYC 2014, New York Critics' Choice, ***** (Time Out) – Shaelee Rooke is back with her new one-woman show, directed by Toby Hulse. Shae has a boyfriend but she knows he's not the one. Then she notices someone else... someone different... someone who's always been there. A tender, surreal and wildly imaginative comedy about a woman who finds true love by dating herself. 'A superbly acted, thought-provoking adventure' (Bristol Ferment).

World renowned hand balancer Natalie Reckert presents her solo show, where stand-up comedy meets electro-robotics in a feat of handstand endurance. A funny and frivolous self-portrait. Selfie With Eggs creates an insight into the world of an acrobat. A highly skilled one-woman experiment testing the limits of the body and the stability of quite a few eggs... ‘A total joy from beginning end. An utterly beguiling solo performance that combines extraordinary physical skill with an unforgettable performance. Life would be poorer without individual and maverick talents such as Natalie Reckert’ (Steve Cowton, The Lowry).

Socially awkward Stephen is a twentysomething we can all relate to. He’s hopelessly lonely, he hates his job and he keeps a woman shackled to his plumbing. But tonight is different. Tonight Stephen is preparing for a hot date with the help of the female manacled to his water main. They discuss everything from Sandra Bullock to white privilege and the sex appeal of investment bankers, but never mention the elephant in the room. A hilarious, fast-paced, black comedy about a kidnapper and his victim.

What are we? Skin, bone and one hundred billion brain cells? Is there more to it? How does the darkness inside our skulls become a world of people and places, pleasure and pain, love and loss? Alex is a neuroscientist who seems to have all the answers, but after an experiment goes wrong, he is forced to face the truth about his identity. A dynamic, physical, multimedia exploration of relationships, humanity and what it means to be unique. 'This will stick in the mind days after encountering it' (York Vision). ‘Poignant and always impassioned’ (LondonTheatre1.com).

If someone you knew committed an unspeakable crime, did you ever really know them at all? In 2013, an 18-year-old boy was imprisoned for the possession of over 50,000 indecent images of children. Daniel follows those left behind through a combination of devising and new writing, exploring the unheard stories of his friends and family who are forced to deal with the aftermath. Daniel was selected for the National Student Drama Festival and won the Award for Creative Collaboration. ‘Disturbingly brilliant’ (Sunday Times). ‘A smart and engaging show’ (Alexander Kelly, co-artistic director at Third Angel).

Home provider, oxygen producer and number one BFF: Fraxi the Ash Tree is guardian to forest dwellers. But when tragedy strikes and Fraxi's in danger, friends Woody and HB Caterpillar must choose how to save their beloved home! A compelling tale of friendship and resilience. Explore and learn with Fraxi in her ever-changing forest home. Returning to Edinburgh Fringe fresh from 2016 touring, this striking dance theatre inspires love and thoughtfulness towards the natural world. Written by Scotland New Playwrights Award winner, Jack Dickson. Soundtrack by Greg Sinclair (2016 Arts Foundation Children’s Theatre Award winner).

An extravagant presenter introduces a contrived comedic plot: two lovers, an old father, a suitor... Everything seems familiar, but something unexpected is coming. From within the machine-like workings of a cliche, feel good TV show, revolution is brewing: a fight against the Tyranny of Happiness. Can the Machina and its predefined schemes be destroyed by these primordial stirrings? Or is rebellion only the umpteenth gear of the machine? Innovatively combining video projection and Commedia dell'Arte, this is a spellbinding performance blending exquisite stagecraft with a searching philosophy. English and Italian (with English subtitles).

A fun, touching, highly visual piece inspired by the story of Moses. Using music, puppetry, comedy and no dialogue, accessible to deaf and hearing audiences in a shared experience. Two quirky characters, living on a scrapyard on society's fringes, have their lives turned upside down! The discovery of a tiny baby catches them by surprise. Where did it come from? And does it come with a manual?! Join these lovable vagrants in their strange, murky world as they grapple with their new routine. Hot Coals are back with their unique brand of cartoon for the stage.

Raymondo and Sparky have been locked in the cellar underneath their house for six years. An accident involving a pigeon enables their escape. But do they have the requisite skills to survive a haphazard, cruel world? A story of brotherhood, loss, incarceration, survival, desire, and resilience. Siddons brings her dark, tender, and funny storytelling show about two brothers, accompanied by atmospheric live guitars score, loops and keys by Marcus Hamblett. ‘…untamed brilliant writing ... an outstanding storyteller’ **** (Fest). ‘…a rich, wild and precise poetry that breathes a colossal and sometimes angry humanity… Magical and strange’ **** (Scotsman).

I Loved You and I Loved You is the true story of a young Welsh composer called Morfydd Owen, who lived almost 100 years ago. In this piece, half way between a dance and a play, we tell her extraordinary story; from humble beginnings to her meteoric rise as composer and pianist. Looking at her relationship with the man she longed to love, and searching for answers to her mysterious death. Edinburgh Fringe premiere, co-produced with Coreo Cymru/Chapter in association with Galeri, Theatr Harlech and NTW. Part of the Welsh Dance Strand.

Sharp devised theatre peering through the cracks in modern Britain. A brand new original piece set in a takeaway on election night. This play brims with bizarre characters, plucked right from the Great British public, spinning a tale of nostalgic optimism and greasy fingers. We have cobbled together stories from across Britain in an attempt to find the threads of commonality often hidden from view. If you love Russell Brand, hate Russell Brand, watch Question Time, watch Gogglebox, vote UKIP, vote Green, love this country or don’t recognise it anymore, this one’s for you.

Seven virtuoso performers combine in a thrilling surrealist piece of dance. A spellbinding and titillating look at Max Ernst’s unnerving collage-novel, A Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil, from the glamorous new force in dance-theatre, Impermanence. Created collaboratively by the performers, Da-Da-Darling is dreamlike entertainment full of love, sex and disorientation… Visions of broken milk teeth, fluttering dragonflies, writhing flesh, and a band of leech-charmers appear, as the performers’ bodies, clothed in timeless attire, oscillate between a story of innocence and sin… ‘Poetic, energetic, racy, vintage, stylish ... their connection with the audience was electric’ (Simon Casson, Duckie).

To Kill a Machine: an empowering and heartbreaking play telling the real story of war-time code breaker Alan Turing. A man guilty only of knowledge, homosexuality and refusing to live a lie, who was turned into a hero, vilified for his sexuality and suicide and resurrected to hero after his death. The play examines his pioneering work considering whether a machine could think. The play asks the question what then is the difference between a human and a machine? And if a human is prevented from thinking, does he then become a machine?

‘I just want to dance with my friends.’ Gar can’t decide between the man who plays games and the man on one knee with a ring. Every choice seems like a compromise. This Much re-examines how we define ourselves through relationships. Three boys, one dress and a hoover collide as Gar risks everything to become what he really wants to be. MOVING DUST stage the world-premiere of this explosive play written by John Fitzpatrick on the renowned Royal Court Writers’ Programme. Life's a wedding disco. Let’s dance. www.movingdust.com

As war breaks out, Elizabeth remembers those already lived through, already witnessed, and she's fleeing. She packs her suitcase as her daughter tries to convince her to stay. But as belongings reveal the past, they uncover truths, forcing her to see her daughter is at the core of a delusion she has been creating for centuries. That timeless lies soon catch up with you. Hounded and Ugly Collective ambitiously combine movement, text, and an original soundscape to present Leftovers, winner of the Scottish Daily Mail Award. Written by Gabrielle Sheppard, directed by Dimitris Chimonas, designed by Sara Blöndal.

Can you stay true to yourself, when everything suggests you change? 201’s raw, contemporary hip-hop returns in Smother: a story of two men's broken encounter. After sell-out performances in New York and London, this groundbreaking production touches on themes of addiction, obsession, and the meaning of commitment. Choreographer Andrea Walker directs a cast of seven dancers in a fast-paced, intimate performance, exploring the relationship of two young men. ‘Superb ... a piece that is at once raw, skilful and intoxicating.’ (LGBTQArtsandCultureReview.com). ‘Infectious ... an intense urban fairytale of addiction and obsession’ (ThePlace.org.uk, Resolution Review).

1927. A black and stormy night. Alone in a crumbling manor, four children play a delightfully dark, frightfully funny game, where the shadows ring with laughter and buried secrets threaten to spoil the fun. Edward, Constance, Oliver and Theo revel in old tales of castles, dungeons and kidnapped heroines. But their own past is not at rest, and the violence of a half-forgotten war lurks beyond the torchlight. Born of classic Gothic novels and visually inspired by early silent films, Parlour Games is an inventive, funny, playful and disturbing work of physical theatre from Lecoq-trained company Tooth+Nail.

A new adaptation. Poprishchin is a low ranking civil servant for the government, struggling to make his mark on life, but one day he makes an amazing discovery. Could he really be the next King of Spain? Driven insane by government bureaucracy and hierarchy, Gogol’s dark comedy exposes one man’s reality spiralling deeper into a surreal fantasy world. Performed by award-winning actor, Robert Bowman and directed by Olivier Award nominee Sinéad Rushe. ‘…Bowman perfectly encapsulates the madness as we watch him unravel before our eyes and head deeper into a fantasy world’ (Western Mail).

A riotous, atypically sexy and messy hour of entertainment exploring the bizarre and comic act of getting dressed, inspired by the questions of a 2.5 year-old boy. Baring bodies and awkward truths, we unpack the dressing ritual of the female – using Boots, Beyoncé and some very upsetting arithmetic to expose the costs of our daily self-mortifications, and the domino effect on future generations. Featuring awkward letters, sarcastic projection, questionable dance moves, diabolical makeovers, and candid recordings of two young nephews. First scratched at CPT’s Calm Down, Dear Festival 2014.

It’s 1972. An era of possibility, polyester and pubic hair. Ziggy Stardust is on Top of the Pops, Penny is writing an essay on Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Christine is watching Deepthroat. Brian is confused. The Wardrobe Ensemble tell the story of the class of ‘72 with a handsome funk guitarist and some spacehoppers. Was it easier back then? Where did we go wrong? A brisk romp through the ins and outs of those excellently awkward first sexual encounters. ‘Genuinely hilarious’ ***** (Exeunt on RIOT).

A show about food. The evolution of humanity through the triptych of a daily routine: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Multi award-winning Clout Theatre return with their most ambitious project to date: a visual feast which traverses drastically different styles from primal movement to clown, to multimedia. This excessive, anarchic and wordless piece is peppered with absurdity, gourmandise and overtones of cannibalism. 'Experts in the grotesque' (Exeunt). 'Ridiculous, hilarious, baffling and unnerving ... a sheer pleasure' **** (Scotsman). Developed with support from Battersea Arts Centre, Jackson's Lane, Tiyatro Medresesi, The BikeShed Theatre and Arts Council England. www.clout-theatre.com

Under the direction of the highly-strung Foreman Snorwell, the goblins known as The Dream Sequentialists produce high quality human dreams for a living. But when the smallest goblin, Warty Finks, usurps the Foreman and creates the very first nightmare instead, chaos quickly spreads across the dreamscape. Can the goblins put a stop to Finks’ horrible creation before the head honcho, the enigmatic Mr Sandyman, finds out? An absurd and physical comedy, The Dream Sequentialists delivers a farcical, fantastical and fast-paced exploration of imagination itself.

How long 'til someone is gone, how long 'til missing, how long 'til dead? A rusty old Ute clangs down the highway. Meanwhile, a girl sits in a sticky motel room, curtains drawn, counting the turns of the ceiling fan. When Mel’s best friend, Sarah, goes missing at a music festival she wonders if she is the only one really looking. Inspired by true events, Miss Sarah looks at the debilitating nature of hope, focusing on the unseen victims of missing person cases, those left behind. A Lynchian nightmare, a psychological thriller, one girl’s search for Sarah.

'Beware the Jabberwock my son!' Join a child on his quest to save his mother based in the weird and wonderful world of Lewis Carroll’s famous poem. Dive into a fantastical adventure, where magic and monsters come to life in this piece of new writing. Through dynamic storytelling that is both bold and touching, The Jabberwocky explores those relationships that are most important to us in a banquet of shadow puppetry, physical theatre, and music that will wow audiences of all ages. The Jabberwocky is a show not to be missed!

1848. Chopin is in Scotland. There's a revolution in France. His father has died. His relationship with George Sand is over. His health is failing rapidly. A show about Chopin's feelings, life and music, with live piano.

‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’ Enter a world where every object contains a memory. Beginning life as four ordinary items, Souvenirs is a poignant performance exploring why and how we choose to remember the stories and people that we love and lose. Expressed through choreographed movement, new writing and live music, each object transforms to offer a journey through remembrance, stretching the limits of the imagination. Following the success of Wastwater (Edinburgh Fringe 2014, National Student Drama Festival 2015), The Human Animal return with a playful storytelling experience like no other.

Cheque Please follows Ivy, a waitress, who offers the audience a chance to experience a couple of weeks inside her head. Dealing with her depression and on a spiral of self evaluation, she is forced to decide, with the aid of the audience, if she too wants to collect the cheque on her life and commit suicide. With the help of the other characters that influence her life, they build and illuminate conversations and experiences for the audience both as outsiders and from the inside of her own mind, posing the question: is your life worth it?

Russia. 1970. Sex crazed, greedy and idiotic, the local government rules over a bleak isolated town with an iron fist. When they receive warning that an incognito government inspector from St. Petersburg is en route to investigate, panic duly ensues. This dandified stranger demands bribes, flirts with the mayor’s wife and seduces his daughter. Everyone is riled up but relieved when he finally leaves. But then comes a dismaying letter… Praise for Sedos: ‘So close to professional it hurts' ***** (Broadwaybaby.com).

Two women. An empty room. Nowhere to hide. What happens when the outside is looking in at them? They enter. One carries the other upon her shoulders. A long time ago they met. Who are we together? Who are we alone? Is one able to escape from her own presence? Two women, carrying each other, searching for independence, walking on this thin fragile path between the inside and the outside. Pregnant Theatre from Australia and Switzerland use original soundscape and multi-languages fused with humour, absurdity and movement promising a dynamic debut.

Black holes in our memory. Production inspired by Alzheimer’s disease with original music by Pawel Passini, winner of the Total Theatre Award and Herald Angel 2011. Actors were in direct contact with dementia patients in order to learn their roles. ‘I spoke to a friend today, fellow sufferer of Alzheimer’s, regarding last night’s performance. She was ecstatic. Seeing herself in many situations she laughed a great deal’ (Nina Balácková, member of Alzheimer Europe). Black holes aren´t completely black! Remember what you had for lunch yesterday? Are you sure? Don´t forget to remember when we are playing!

Dancer, politician, footballer, painter: your life is yours to make of it what you will. When a closing prison door makes you something else, what can you be when it opens again? A chorus of characters come together to explore the limbo of prison life as society carries on beyond its walls. What effect does prison have on the offender, the victim and both their families? Can any of them ever truly recover? Using multiple voices we take you into a world you never dreamed you’d enter – one not everyone can leave behind.

Dan is lost inside his own existence. Everything hasn't quite turned out how he would have liked and he is afraid the big moments of his life have already passed him by. When he meets Amy, a 19 year old girl with a completely unfiltered and free-spirited view of the world despite her fractured family life, he finds a way to live again, rebelling against everything he holds dear. But how does a 40 year old man go about meeting a 19 year old girl? And can the repercussions from their first meeting ever really go away?

‘So Johnny, would you like to...shoot something?’ In the spring of 1997, Johnny Depp moved into the basement of literary pioneer Hunter S Thompson's Owl Farm home for four months, in preparation for his role in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. What followed was a submergence into the weird and wonderful world of Hunter. Bombs, drugs, liquor, mining lights and an enduring friendship. d'Animate invite you to follow them into the dungeon with Colonel Depp and Dr Hunter S Thompson. ‘Physical poetry! Exceptional actors. A company to look out for!’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).

Bafta winning writer Geoff Thompson’s chilling new semi-autobiographical drama charting a broken man’s journey through abuse, reconciliation and redemption. Abandoned and alone, he tells his story to a tape recorder in the hope of finding peace. Fragile premiered at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry in 2012. Controversy over its brutal subject matter led to the production being cancelled amid critical acclaim and sell-out audiences. Old Joint Stock Theatre Company revived it this year with the support of Geoff Thompson. Winners of Best Fringe Production 2013, Central Region (ThePublicReviews.com). Best Production, Birmingham Fest. Best Solo Production, Stratford-Upon-Avon Fringe.

Bond is back… older but still wisecracking… Following performances in the USA and Australia, Gavin Robertson focuses his attention on the Bond phenomenon, in his latest physical cartoon-style parody - exploding every cliché in the book(s)… solo! In which Bond meets his greatest arch-villain yet - Ian Fleming himself, courtesy of a time-machine and featuring the smallest car chase (n)ever seen! His unique brand of comedy has toured the world to Europe, Japan, India, Russia, South America and New Zealand, amongst others. ‘Comedy at its best’ (BroadwayWorld.com). ‘A subtle authority that is compelling to watch’ (Guardian).

‘We could do whatever we like in here and no one would ever know’. ‘Apart from you and me’. A woman. A man. Trapped in a lift. Isolated from the outside world, games and fantasies blur into memories neither wishes to confront. The debut play from novelist Jason Hewitt (The Dynamite Room). Starring Jessica Macdonald (Minotaur, Death & Treason at Bristol Old Vic) and Paul Tinto (Blackwatch, Chariots of Fire, Time of Strife). ‘Superb. Absorbing, suspenseful and with a beautifully poetic touch’ (Nathan Filer on Jason Hewitt's The Dynamite Room).

Inspired by Don Quixote’s wanderings, two feisty senoritas and a downtrodden Englishman embark on a journey through medieval Spain taking on one of the most accomplished works of fiction ever written. Accompanied only by a flamenco guitarist whose presence there makes no sense whatsoever, they will lead you to joy, pain and ultimate wisdom. Sixty glorious minutes concluding with a common sentiment: these guys didn't read the book. Little Soldier presents an imaginative and provocative adventure of epic proportions, to be taken with a pinch of salt and a handlebar moustache.

Everything is so fast these days: numbers, dates, communication, thought. We live in the age of the social network society. We are constantly connected, perpetually plugged in. But can we really communicate? And have we forgotten the power of relationships, the spark between two bodies, the beauty and uniqueness of the self? The heart is an ancient technology, and it moves at its own pace. Motion&Motion puts the brakes on the frenzy of modern life, as dance and projection intertwine in a visually arresting exploration of human emotion in the digital age.

The Knee Jerk Of Sloth, a new play written by Pelagie-May Green, is a tragi-comedy brimming with lyrical music and the poetry of the gutter. After a tragic death years ago, four homeless and hopeless people are left picking up the pieces in an old glue factory. As the events of the past gradually come to light, Blake, Shane, Pete and Queenie slowly lose their drunken minds with devastating results.

Dawn State’s pulsating tale of greed, adventure and ruin rips up Kipling’s classic mercenary yarn to interrogate Britain’s place in the world today. Two actors combine searing text, bold physicality and original music to tell the story of Peachy Callahan and Daniel Dravot, soldiers-for-hire amidst the shifting borders of the Middle East. Tired of the mercenary life, Peachy and Daniel have come up with a plan: head to northern Afghanistan, enslave the natives and install themselves as kings. Thrilling, contemporary theatre, nominated for Les Enfants Terribles Award 2014.

1942. Held in prison without trial for six weeks, three women await interrogation. This isn’t Germany. This isn’t Russia. This is England. Exploring the little known wartime defence regulation that arguably undermined the democracy of Churchill’s Britain, 18b exposes moral questions over a period of history honoured in the text books. A charming fascist, eccentric outsider and a German infiltrator force their interrogators to question the measures we should resort to in the protection of state and nation. A punchy, provocative, challenging new perspective on our nation’s history from a fresh and exciting award-winning company.

In 2010 the Mars One Foundation set out their plans to establish a human settlement on the red planet by the year 2024. They received over 250,000 applicants for the one-way mission. Inspired by real events, Icarus explores our desire to reach for the stars and the consequences of our failure. In a story of hope, ambition and legacy, Square Peg Theatre ask what would drive someone to leave Earth forever. Developed in association with The Lowry and Harrogate Theatre, and supported by The Unity and Slung Low’s HUB. 'Square Peg will take your breath away' (BroadwayBaby.com).

What if all it took to make something true was to think it? The girl with the most imagination falls in love with the boy with the least and together they create a new reality where no one need suffer ever again. Inspired by animé and martial art films, Lecoq trained Surface Of A Bubble use puppetry, masks, capoeira, kung-fu and live music to reveal how the universe came to be and why our dreams are locked inside our heads. Contains puppet violence.

‘What makes you who you are? You are who you can prove you are. You are what people think. And that’s the easiest thing in the world to change’. Charlie is trapped: work, drink, snort, sleep, rinse and repeat. But when a family friend with a questionable past offers him a way out, he discovers his chance to start all over again. An award-winning dark comedy by Fin Kennedy about identity and belonging. Praise for UCLU Runaground (2013): 'Nothing short of perfect' ***** (EdFringeReview.com). 'Utterly enthralling' ***** (FringeGuru.com).

Heart-warming and hilarious! Sophie tells unbelievable true story of how she and her slightly-psychic Gran, found her long lost father. It’s an interactive ‘who-is-it?’ fusing stand-up comedy and theatrical chaos to tell a story of fantasy, failure, grief, love, and ultimately of hope. In this whirlwind of a one-woman show, expect laughs, tears, confetti and lots of detective spoofery! ‘Bright emerging star!’ (BBC Comedy). ‘Beautifully written material delivered with real skill. Very funny!’ (Zoe Lyons).

China. 1969. Mid-summer. Cultural Revolution. Snow starts to fall. YingYing and Mulan meet in the harshest Chinese work camp. Surrounded by cruelty and sadness, the two women find strength in each other. Based on her family's experience, Heather Lai tells a tale of injustice, of companionship and enduring love.

Lose yourself on an enchanting puppetry adventure through time, landscapes and legends into the world of the Welsh Dragon! Encounter magical creatures, mythical stories and spellbinding tales from Wales in this exciting new piece of puppet theatre inspired by folklore, legends and ancient stories from the Welsh book of fairy tales, The Mabinogion. Award winning puppeteers PuppetSoup take you to the edge of your seat and the brink of your imagination, where wise men are grown from witch’s cauldrons and dragons really do exist. For ages 5 - 105!