National Theatre Wales Collaborates With NoFit State Circus

Exploring the theme of worlds, be they the physical, mythical, the world of memory or even the real world, Mundo Paralelo will feature never-seen-before circus skills and breathtaking physical feats.

For their 12th production, National Theatre Wales collaborate with worldwide circus heavyweights NoFit State Circus, Serbian director Mladen Materic and 11 circus artists from all over the world, to bring this unique production to The Torch Theatre, in Milford Haven.

An upside-down juggler; an infinite wire-walker; spectacular swinging trapeze; magicians; slackropes; hulahoops; aerial rope and spiral artists artists will perform alongside a vivid soundscape, telling unique inter-weaving stories. Mundo Paralelo will take its audience on an exploratory journey, shattering preconceptions about circus, and leaping from world to world to reach the most complicated one of all; our own.

Total Theatre Award winning NoFit State is one of Europe's leading contemporary circus companies. With a reputation for new and innovative mixed media circus performance, their shows Immortal and Tabú gained cult status on the international festival scene, selling out in France, Belgium, Demark, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Canada and all over the UK. Other projects in development include Parklife and Barricade; large-scale outdoor circus shows commissioned by a consortium of UK and European festivals. A two-month site-specific summer residency location is to be announced soon.

Serbian director Mladen Materic created the Tattoo Theatre company in Yugoslavia at the beginning of the 1980s. Since then, he has conceived and directed all of their productions. Tattoo is devoted to the research and creation of a more subtle theatrical language. Its productions of Nouvelle Byzance and Le Grand Inquisiteur (the latter based on a novel by Dostoyevsky) are currently touring France, both having been created in the Theatre Garonne in Toulouse in 2007 and 2010, respectively. The company is now based in Toulouse, France.

Creative producer Tom Rack has been with Nofit State since the beginning. He started out 25 years ago in Cardiff with a group of friends who shared a passion for juggling and street performing, and together they developed Nofit State into a Welsh circus company with a global reputation for different, exciting and engaging contemporary circus. With nothing more than 25 years experience and his Newport School of Art degree, Tom led the team that created the internationally celebrated shows ImMortal and Tabú.

Juggler Frida Odden Brinkmann is from Norway. She trained at AFUK's Artistline, Copenhagen; Cirkuspiloterna, Stokholm and Academie Fratellini, Paris. She has performed juggling solos at festivals and events all over the world, both three-ball and bounce juggling, winning a gold medal at the International Jugglers Association, Portland, in 2006. Her work has included shows with Compagnie Jerome Thomas, Gandini Juggling Project, Cirkor and most recently Circo Herencia duo.

Australian Adie Delaney performs on the swinging trapeze, the flying trapeze and with hula hoops.
She began gymnastics at the age of four, and after school studied circus for three years in Australia, before independently travelling as a trapezist all over the world. She found her home with NoFit State Circus, touring Europe in 2008.

Static trapeze artist Natalia Fandiño was born in Argentina and began her career as a tango dancer. It was in the Superior School of Circus Art Le Lido in Toulouse that she really developed her unique aerial work the static trapeze. She then joined NoFit State Circus in 2007, for their production Immortal. She has continued to work with them on the show Tabù since Spring 2008, touring the biggest festivals in Europe.

Natalia's sister, tightwire artist Vanina Fandiño began her career as a contemporary dancer in the Expression Corporal School. In 2002, she moved to Belgium where she created the Circo Fantasma, which toured western and southern Europe. Like her sister, it was in Le Lido in Toulouse that she really developed her circus technique work. She joined NoFit State Circus n spring 2008, working on the show Tabù.

Acrobatic ladder artist and juggler Emiliano Ferri is Italian. He discovered juggling while training to become a pilot. A year later, he started a two-year juggling course in Bergamo, then at a preparatory circus school in Torino, Scuola di Cirko Vertigo, where he discovered the acrobatic ladder. He later entered the German Cabaret circuit, participating in the 12th Newcommershow and then working in Lepzig, Cologne and Bonn, as well as performing at festivals in France with his new company Narvalo.
He now lives and trains in Le Mans, France.

Rigger and clown artist Marco Fiera is Welsh-born, and lives in Cardiff. He trained in mime at the Desmond Jones School in London, before working as a stage technician with Welsh National Opera and the National Theatre in London. He continued performing as an actor and dancer, joining NoFit State Circus 10 years ago.

Slackwire and clown artist George Fuller grew up in Minnesota, USA, but now lives in Cardiff. He studied performance at the San Francisco Institute of Art; Circus Arts with the Midnight Circus and clown/acting with Sigfrido Aguilar, Ctibor Turba, Philip Gaulier and many others. He has performed on stage, in circus performances, art galleries and street theatre.

Aerial rope artist and musician Gareth Jones was brought up in Swansea. He studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, graduating in 2008, since when he has worked in theatre and circus in and around Europe.

Rope and aerial artist Kevin McIntosh was born in Jamaica. When studying for a Fine Art Degree at Cardiff Art College, Kevin began performing circus as a fire swinger and stiltwalker, soon to ascend the trapeze. He now specialises in aerial rope, performing freelance and touring with Nofit State Circus. Kevin is also an accomplished dancer and Salsa teacher.

Miguel Muñoz is a magician, physical performer artist from Spain, and is co-artistic director of Puntocero. He studied contemporary circus at the Central School of Speech and Drama (Circus Space) in London, and has studied theatre, clown and movement at City Lit, Mick Barnfather School and Studio 3. He has worked with several companies such as Company F.Z (Total Theatre award winners 2002) and the acclaimed company DV8 Physical Theatre. In 2007, Miguel created his own company, PuntoCero, with the physical performer Zenaida Alcalde. They were commissioned by the Arts Council England to create their first show It's your Night, which toured successfully in the UK last year.

Rope and hula hoop artist Anna Sandreuter lives in Cardiff, but is originally from Austria. She originally started her performance career in dance, but later became interested in contemporary circus and theatre. She graduated from Circus Space in London in both art forms in 2001. She then toured with NoFit State Circus for three years, in the internationally acclaimed production Immortal. Anna is also an experienced freelance instructor in circus arts and has taught at all levels and abilities in the National Institute of Circus Arts Melbourne, Australia.

Musical Director Peter Swaffer-Reynolds has worked since 1989 with circus music. In 1995, he began collaborating with Nofit State and has written for all their shows. He has worked with music and theatre in Scandinavia for many years. Since 2004, he has worked as musical director for Bristol Old Vic Young Company and received commissions from Welsh National Opera, National Theatre Wales, Fairground Theatre and Moon Fool Theatre. Most recently he completed a score for Fairground Theatre, Bonnie & Clyde, and is working on Jason & Medea for The Young Company.

National Theatre Wales & No Fit State Circus present
Mundo Paralelo
in partnership with The Torch Theatre, Milford Haven

3-19 March 2011 (except Mon)
7.30pm
The Torch Theatre
St. Peter's Road
Milford Haven
Pembrokeshire

Directed by?Mladen Materic
Musical Director Peter Swaffer Reynolds

The show is aimed at adults, but is suitable for children.

Box Office
The Torch Theatre
St. Peter's Road
Milford Haven
Pembrokeshire
SA73 2BU
Tel. 01646 695 267
www.torchtheatre.co.uk

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