Barbican and Bridge Theatre Announce New Collaboration

The Barbican today announces a new partnership with the Bridge Theatre, to bring the highly acclaimed theatre installation, Flight, by Vox Motus, to London for the first time. As creative teams up and down the country find innovative ways to bring live events and audiences together again, the Barbican and the Bridge Theatre collaborate at this unprecedented time to co-present the heart-wrenching story of two orphaned brothers and their epic odyssey across Europe.

Toni Racklin, Head of Theatre and Dance at the Barbican said: "We're thrilled to be collaborating with the Bridge Theatre to bring the highly acclaimed theatre installation, Flight, by Vox Motus, to London. Whilst our theatre spaces at the Barbican are busy with rehearsals, R&D work and film screenings, we're delighted to be able to co-present Flight at the Bridge Theatre. Based on the 2012 book Hinterland by Caroline Brothers, the story is as timely today as when it was first published. We hope that this stage adaptation - a beautifully crafted diorama which we've been impatient to bring to London - will grip Barbican and Bridge Theatre audiences alike."

Tim Levy, Co-Director of London Theatre Company said: "Having followed Flight's much-celebrated journey from Edinburgh to New York, we are honoured to give it its London premiere here at The Bridge. This is an exciting opportunity for us to expand our repertoire, as we continue to welcome back our audiences and champion bold new forms of theatre. We are delighted to be working alongside our friends at the Barbican for the first time and we look forward to sharing this beautiful and poignant piece."

Flight restarts the Barbican's Theatre and Dance programme following last week's announcements of The Ghost Light in the Theatre, a live experience for one audience member and up to five of their guests, followed by We Cover the Universe on Zoom, an interactive, sensory show for the under-fives. Further productions will be announced soon.

Principal and Premier Patron booking opens for Flight on Friday 23 October and Patron Priority booking opens on Monday 26 October. To become a Patron visit https://www.barbican.org.uk/join-support/support-us. Tickets go on sale to Barbican Members Plus on Tuesday 27 October and to Barbican Members on Wednesday 28 October. There are no booking fees for Barbican Members and they can book their tickets before the general public with priority booking (excludes The Ghost Light). For more information visit https://www.barbican.org.uk/membership. Tickets for Flight go on sale to the general public on Friday 30 October.

Tickets for We Cover the Universe go on sale to the general public on Wednesday 21 October.

Tickets for The Ghost Light will be through an online ticket lottery which closes at 10am on Friday 30 October.

Vox Motus - Flight

Bridge Theatre, Tuesday 10 November 2020-Saturday 16 January 2021
Press performances: Monday 16 November 2020, times vary

From a private booth, audiences will be drawn in to this tale of orphaned brothers and their desperate odyssey across Europe, the action unfolding in an exquisite world of moving miniatures.

With their small inheritance stitched into their clothes, young Aryan and Kabir set off on an epic journey by foot from Kabul to London. Braving bustling train stations, hazardous sea crossings, menacing strangers and threats of violence, their heart-wrenching story speaks of terror, hope and survival. Based on Caroline Brothers' novel Hinterland, Flight combines timely themes with engrossing images to honour the resilience of refugee children adrift in dangerous lands.

At the Bridge Theatre audiences will be seated individually and given headphones for this intimate experience staged by Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison (magic and illusions designer, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). Like a 3-D graphic novel brought to life, the revolving scenes contain detailed sets and figures, accompanied by binaural sound and narration.

Flight was originally commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival in 2017 and presented in association with the Beacon Arts Centre. It won a Herald Angel Award and the New York Times Award for Unforgettable Theatre Moments of 2018. The production has also toured to the Melbourne Festival, Brighton Festival 2019 and the New York University Abu Dhabi Arts Centre.

Barbican and fieldwork - The Ghost Light

Tuesday 24 November-Saturday 5 December 2020, times vary, Barbican Theatre

A glimmer of light. An empty stage. As the silence breaks, a one-off performance begins.

The atmospheric auditorium at the Barbican has been dark for months, except for a solitary light, traditionally kept burning after hours to appease ghosts and celebrate the enduring power of theatre. Now, as the Theatre doors reopen, we invite an audience of one and up to five of their guests to inhabit the space with an artist, as a 30-minute piece unfolds just for them. Anything from comedy to drama or dance to poetry may be performed. It could be rowdy or reflective, grand or intimate, classic or contemporary. The audience will only know once they've taken their seats.

The Ghost Light concept is by Purni Morell and Christian Roe of fieldwork. These spontaneous and thrilling short pieces are performed live in the evocative setting of the Barbican Theatre, lit only by the ghost light. A selection of performances will also be filmed and made available free on YouTube for audiences to enjoy online at home from December.

The performers include: Marc Almond, Fehinti Balogun, Dickie Beau, Amelia Cavallo, Viviana Durante, Inua Ellams, Christopher Green, Jamie Hale, Shappi Khorsandi, Le Gateau Chocolat, CN Lester, Ursula Martinez, Patrick O'Kane, Theo (Godson) Oloyade, Maxine Peake, Tom Randle, Christian Roe, Selina Thompson and Michelle Tiwo.

Journalists please note: at the time of going to press, under the current guidelines, we can only welcome visitors from the same household or support bubble. We will seat visitors from the same household or support bubble at a safe distance from each other.

Tickets for The Ghost Light will be through an online ticket lottery which closes at 10am on Friday 30 October. Winners will be contacted at least one week ahead of the performance. If successful they will be able to buy up to six tickets at £15 each for a specified performance.

Akin - We Cover the Universe

Thursday 10-Sunday 20 December 2020, times vary, available via Zoom

Poetry, drawing and gentle play awaken the imagination in Akin's interactive, sensory online show for the under-fives and parents/carers and extended families.

We Cover the Universe introduces audiences to Dot, when she's feeling small. She's stuck in a grey room until, one day, she starts to draw and dream. Plucking up the courage to venture out, she encounters a glorious new world of colour and learns there's more to life than she ever thought.

Two friendly performers guide children and adults through simple movement and inventive art-making activities via Zoom, exploring how basic household objects feel and sound. With magical music, vibrant visuals and lovely language, this wondrous experience takes families on a journey together, wherever they are, transforming items and spaces before their eyes.

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