PRESENTED BY TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRES BEYOND
Tobacco Factory Theatres and Circomedia are honoured to work together in welcoming Birmingham’s genre-bending European arts festival, as it takes to the road and shines a light on the best of the continent’s new theatre, dance and performance art.
Experience three highlights of the festival – a trio of extraordinary shows from Switzerland, Germany and Italy.
Vacuum from Companie Philippe Saire is a transcendental performance in which movement and visual arts converge. Created by Philippe Saire, one of Europe’s leading creators of experimental choreography, bodies weave through black holes and shards of dazzling light and a slo-mo optical canvas mesmerises as two male forms float through a spatial vacuum.
Situation with Outstretched Arm (Oliver Zahn) examines the Hitler Salute, one of the most powerful and violent symbols of the 20th century, giving it new meaning on stage. The production takes a unique cross-disciplined approach to explore a controversial symbol, which has re-emerged across Europe in extremist organisations. Winner of the Bilbao ACT Festival Price at BE FESTIVAL 2016.
Central to Samuel Beckett’s philosophy of failure and its benefits is the concept of interruption. Overload by Sotteraneo is a fast paced and explosive physical theatre performance by four Italians intent on dissecting the noisy interruptions that bombard our day to day lives. Through a witty and physical narrative, the show jumps from one distraction to another, analysing the feeling triggered by something ending prematurely and our perpetual sense of confusion. Sotterraneo are a multi-award winning theatre collective born in Florence in 2004 and who previously won the the BE FESTIVAL 2012 1st Prize with Homo Ridens.
BE FESTIVAL shakes up the idea of conventional theatre by crossing borders, disciplines and blurring traditional boundaries between audience and artist. The annual summer festival invites European performers to perform at Birmingham REP, and celebrates European culture and community.
BEST OF BE FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS
We’re offering two fantastic opportunities for adults (ages 16+) with an interest in physical theatre and dance to get involved here at Tobacco Factory Theatres via workshops with the creative teams behind the performances featured in Best of BE Festival. To find out more visit our workshop pages for Sotteraneo: Physical Theatre Workshop and Cie Philippe Saire: Dance Workshop.
- RUNNING TIME1hr 30mins
- AGE RECOMMENDATION16+
- TICKETSFull £12 / Concession £10
7.30pm
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION
A discussion will take place after the performance at which audience feedback on the work is warmly welcomed.
Best of BE Festival is part of BEYOND, our off-site season and is playing at Circomedia. To find out more about BEYOND click here.
VENUE CIRCOMEDIA
St. Pauls, Portland Square, BS2 8SJ
Venue website: circomedia.com
GET INVOLVED
We’re delighted to offer two fantastic workshops with the creative teams behind the performances featured in Best of BE Festival for adults (aged 16+). Read more below.