All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre and National Theatre Scotland
Autumn came around fast this year, and it saw me heading to Glasgow for the first of two community engagement projects for All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre. Like Flying is a brilliant project in collaboration with National Theatre Scotland that takes place in an academy or school. We headed first to Belahouston Academy, where the drama students were taught some aerial skills- harness dance, cocoon and aerial hoop and then created a brilliant promenade show around the school, with the students taking part in all the roles of the show. The project then went to Ardrossan and will happen again in Glasgow and Aberdeen in 2023. My role was as a rigger.
https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/events/like-flying-2022
It's been a while since I updated my news, because it has, as ever, been a busy summer, and I'm not complaining! July saw me heading south into England, firstly to be a rigger for Farrell Cox's new show- Ambivalence. She played two venues- Northern Stage in Newcastle and Derby Theatre. I have worked with Farrell as a performer and rigger quite a bit these last years, mostly through The Gramophones Theatre's shows- Tarzanna and Aidy the Awesome. It felt really good to be supporting Farrell on her journey with this brave aurobiographical show- about living with psychosis and as a black queer woman navigating the world. It combines these narratives with aerial, dance and text, and Farrell delivers a powerful and moving performance.
The rigging was fairly straightforward for me, just a lifting system for a hoop and aerial plastic. I actually Iove getting in the roofs of theatre's and seeing what their grids look like, I often remember the grid more than the rest of the theatre if I rig in there.
Anyway I look forward to seeing how it develops and to her touring the show further afield. You can find out more about Ambivalence on the link below.
https://www.farrellcox.com/menu
This spring I am on tour with a brilliant aerial theatre show called Aidy The Awesome. Aimed at 3-12 year olds it has been dreamt up by the brilliant team at The Gramophones theatre and is an empowering tale of super hero grannies and their grandkids, in families where the super powers are passed down the female line. It is full of fun, stunning visual effects, stunts and comedy.
The show is played on and aroud a bespoke rig, and, on this tour I am in charge of it. It is probably the most comlex aerial rig I have ever been in charge of and its been a good challenge to rise to. We are now part way through the tour, the shows have been really well received and the team are realy getting to grips with the rig. I wasn't sure how happy I would be, being on tour but not being in the show as I often tour as a performer and rigger in the same production. While I wouln't want to always do it like this, I'm quite enjoying not being quite so busy on tour and not having the pressure of having to do a show or three in every place, its fun, and I have the extra time to explore the places we are going.
You can find our remaining tour dates and promo video here: