‘All Blood Runs Red’ brings 20th century history to life with the true story of an unsung hero at Lowry

This March, Imitating the Dog’s ‘vivid and beautifully constructed’ (Live Art Live) new production All Blood Runs Red brings a sweeping untold saga of hope and perseverance to Lowry.

Hailed as ‘compelling and memorable’ by the Northern Arts Review, All Blood Runs Red recounts the remarkable true story of Eugene Ballard, a circus entertainer, boxer, nightclub owner, jazz drummer, spy, civil rights activist and one of World War One’s first black fighter pilots, as rising star Morgan Bailey breathes new life into the forgotten tale of an extraordinary figure who lived through some of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century.

Born in Georgia, USA and forced to flee the crushing segregation of the Deep South, Bullard found solace in a conflicted Europe in the midst of profound change. During a life of sprawling adventure, he worked with Josephine Baker and Duke Ellington, made acquaintances with Hemingway and Picasso and even spied against Hitler’s regime, before living out his days in mundanity as a lift operator at New York’s Rockefeller Center.

Gorgeously rendered through Imitating the Dog’s singular narrative style, this poignant, intimate and uplifting new show blends stunning stagecraft and digital flair with an original score to present a century of social revolution through the lens of a fascinating yet unsung figure.

Book tickets below.