Motionhouse presents Starchitects and Nobody at Lichfield Garrick

Post

Subscribe

Wed 05 Apr 2023 - Wed 03 May 2023

International dance-circus company Motionhouse is providing a double treat for audiences in Staffordshire with two spectacular contrasting shows over the coming spring period. The contemporary dance pioneers have been wowing audiences of all ages since 1988 with their world-class dance-circus productions. Both Motionhouse shows will be taking place at the Lichfield Garrick theatre, in April and May respectively. As a special Easter treat for families during the school holidays, Motionhouse will be performing Starchitects on April 5 and 6. The show has been made especially for children as it features five youngsters who dream of reaching the moon from their bedroom.

Audiences are invited to join the children as they plan and fulfil their daring mission. Starchitects aims to celebrate play and imagination, with families likely to recognise games such as Hide and Seek, Grandmother’s Footsteps and the Floor is Lava during the show, as well as being wowed by the thrilling dance circus and acrobatics that the company is renowned for. Motionhouse Executive Director Louise Richards says: “Full of fun and thrilling surprises, Starchitects is engaging for audiences of all ages – from tiny tots to older siblings, parents and grandparents, who can all enjoy and join the magical adventure. Starchitects is a visual spectacle using the incredible dance circus and digital projections that Motionhouse is renowned for, with an easy-to-follow fun and imaginative storyline, making it a perfect outing for the whole family."





Motionhouse then returns to the Lichfield Garrick on May 2 and 3 when it will perform its critically acclaimed production of Nobody. Since its world premiere performances in London in September 2021 in front of packed houses, Nobody has been delighting audiences and garnering critical acclaim throughout the UK and overseas. The show, which follows seven characters on their journey to discover who they are, is packed with raw physical strength, gravity-defying choreography and daring action. Nobody sees Motionhouse’s renowned dance-circus style reach new levels.

Louise Richards of Motionhouse said they were "really looking forward" to bringing Nobody to Lichfield. She added: "Our work is in extremely high demand from audiences, with several venues selling out so far on the tour, and standing ovations at every performance. It was fantastic to get such amazing reviews for Nobody too from the critics both in the UK and overseas.” She said the spectacular strength of the performers makes every throw and lift seem effortless as the seven characters are followed through the emotional, but ultimately uplifting story, full of twists and turns.



Kevin Finnan, Artistic Director of Motionhouse, started exploratory work with the dancers for Nobody in late 2019 and was just about to start creating when the Covid pandemic struck and brought an abrupt halt. It only resumed in January 2021 when the Company returned to the studio, operating within strict Covid guidelines. He said: “It was a challenge to make Nobody during the pandemic, but the process was interesting because the pandemic entirely reshaped my original vision for the production.

"When the dancers and I came back in early 2021 after a long period of lockdowns and furlough, we had an incredible urge to be creative and to explore new ways of moving. I think the energy and emotions of the extraordinary collective experience of dealing with the pandemic shaped the content and the movement we were coming up with as a group. The narrative arc of the production reflects this: the first act of Nobody is driven by the raw emotion of our experiences during lockdown. There is a sense of isolation and being alone and the effects this has had on us all during the pandemic. In the second act, there is a sense of coming together and the strength we all get from that.”



Nobody is packed with visual magic: the world on stage is transformed before the audience's eyes, with the set seemingly moving by itself or being moved by the dancers. Digital projections and the shape-shifting set create a constantly changing environment where nothing is quite what it seems. We follow the seven characters on their journey of self-discovery while a group of curious crows question their every move. As they negotiate their ever-changing reality, the performers search for answers as the world unravels around them.




#dance
#shows
#theatre
#performing_arts

%wnstaffordshire