‘Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror’ brings powerful defiance to 1930s Germany at The Lowry

Presented by the Extraordinary Bodies circus company, Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror sets jaw-dropping acrobatics against a backdrop of bold-hearted defiance and unimaginable bravery at The Lowry from Thu 20 – Sat 22 Apr.

A celebration of love, courage and unshakeable moral fibre, this mesmerising new circus theatre musical follows Waldo and his travelling troupe of acrobats, aerialists and outcasts during the ceaseless rise of Nazism in 1933 Brandenberg.

Amidst the book-burning rallies, erosion of civil rights, summary execution of Jewish people and the targeted persecution of many other groups deemed as ‘impure’ – including disabled people, Roma, gay people, black people, some Slavic peoples and political opponents – the group deepen their resolve and insist that ‘the show must go on’ as a symbol of unbowed liberation, while the world beyond Waldo’s glamorous Big Top falls to tyranny.

Written by Hattie Naylor (Ivan and the Dogs, The Night Watch) and Jamie Beddard (Messiah, The Elephant Man) with an original score by Charles Hazlewood (Paraorchestra), Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror draws on historical research and the experiences of real performers to honour the dauntless spirit of resistance among oppressed communities.

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.

To book tickets, click here.

‘This is a big-hearted and important work that both laments past atrocities against people punished for being different and unique, and champions their continuing and greater visibility’ **** – The Times

‘The spirit of defiance and otherness of the circus is written into the bones of the evening’ **** – The Telegraph