The Lowry hosts two jaw-dropping physical theatre shows this spring

From a rhythmic, intimate meditation on the abstracted power dynamic between people and spaces to the story of a resolute circus performing in the shadow of early Nazism, The Lowry’s spring programme features two diverse yet equally stunning physical theatre shows which collectively showcase the storytelling potential of the human body.

Taking place for one night only on Mon 20 Mar, Overhead Project’s UK premiere of What is Left? brings ‘a multidimensional approach towards space and architectural thinking’ with a mesmeric, energetic, emotionally affecting production which oscillates between dance and contemporary circus, allowing distinct perspectives on the body and stage to coexist while exploring the political and philosophical phenomena contained therein. Beginning from the frontal classroom arrangement, the award-winning company’s new performance interrogates the bodily structures in familiar spaces – theatres, counters, schools, courtroom hierarchies – which create fields of tension between place and person, communication and power.

Running from Tue 20 Apr to Sat 22 Apr, Extraordinary Bodies presents Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror, a ‘spectacular’ new circus theatre musical informed by extensive historical research which follows Waldo and his courageous troupe of outcasts, acrobats and aerialists as they defiantly deliver their show-stopping performances under the looming spectre of rising Nazism and growing oppression in 1933 Brandenburg. Written by Hattie Naylor (Ivan and the Dogs, The Night Watch) and Jamie Beddard (Messiah, The Elephant Man) with an original score by Charles Hazelwood (Paraorchestra), the spellbinding production celebrates love, loyalty and bravery both on the high-wire and on the streets, as resistance to Hitler’s dictatorship flourishes beneath the glamour of Waldo’s big top.

Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror is a large-scale collaboration between d/Deaf, disabled, and non-disabled artists and creators and tours nationally in 2023.

For more information on upcoming shows and events at The Lowry, click here.