Human by Extraordinary Bodies at The Lowry
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Human is a stunning new live show by bold and radical circus company Extraordinary Bodies. Beautiful, witty and joyous, the show looks at all of the small moments that shape us. Most importantly, this show is for everyone – running at around 70 minutes long, all performances are relaxed and BSL-interpreted, with audio description available. Intimate, celebratory and inclusive, all audience members will be handed a pair of headphones on entering The Lowry auditorium.
Beautiful, witty and joyous, the show looks at all of the small moments that shape us.
A glorious examination of birth, love and change, the performance is inspired by real-life stories from the company and its performers. A perfect blend of circus, music and film, the company have aptly described the piece as a “poetic record of our time”.
The UK’s leading professional and integrated circus company, Extraordinary Bodies are experts in outdoor arts, spectacle, integrated arts and community engagement. Founded by artistic directors Claire Hodgson and Billy Alwen, who met while creating an integrated performance for the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, the company prioritises equality of gender, race and accessibility in its performances. Perhaps, most brilliantly, Extraordinary Bodies is a performance company where disabled and non-disabled artists work together. Reminding us that, as humans, we should all take the time to really understand one another so that we can move forward together.
Set on a simple stage with a trapeze, circus rope and percussion instruments, four performers revisit times in their lives: retelling childhood memories and their stories of lockdown. The result is a polyphony of real-life personal experiences told through movement, speech and song.
A perfect blend of circus, music and film…
Incorporating original live music, soulful drumming, striking circus, dance and digital recordings, Human by Extraordinary Bodies examines formative moments, shared collective experiences, times of uncertainty and the life choices we have to make.
