Physical Fest is back! After taking a break last year, they have returned even bigger and better, with some incredible performances and workshops lined up around Liverpool. Being the only festival of its kind in the UK, they showcase the best contemporary physical work from local, national and international creatives.
Presented by Tmesis Theatre, Physical Fest takes place from 10th to 15th June, theming this year’s celebrations around female artists and premiering a selection of show-stopping pieces.
It’s really not one to miss, but if you don’t have time to see everything, here are a few highlights we think you’ll love…
I Cried Because I Had No Shoes Until…
Global teacher, director and performer Izumi Ashiwara explores ‘Shoes’ in gender and racial politics, using Japanese physical performance styles and puppetry. Watch her memories come to life and dissolve in a dreamlike, heart-wrenching masterpiece.
Tuesday 11th June, 7.30pm, Unity Theatre
Tickets: £12 – £15
Mothers who Make
Mother and maker Matilda Leyser’s peer-support group invites artistic mums of all kinds to join her growing national initiative. Acknowledging the similarities between crafting and raising her children, as well as the cultural assumption that the two are incompatible, Matilda challenged this idea and has since been invited to discuss her achievements on The Guilty Feminist podcast. Take part in a crafty morning with likeminded people – children are welcome, too!
Wednesday 12th June, 10.30am – 12.30am, Unity Theatre
Tickets: Free (booking required, go to the Unity Theatre website)
Fang
Catalan circus company Animal Religion explore the relationship between clay and body – ‘constantly transforming’ – in the UK premiere of their acrobatic performance, Fang. Expect to see something unique, as they take you on a journey using 500kg of clay and their trademark surreal humour.
Wednesday 12th June, 7.30pm, The Capstone Theatre
Tickets: £10 – £12
Devoted and Disgruntled
It comes as no surprise to working-class creatives that the arts are lacking in broadened backgrounds. But what can we do about it? Claire Bigley, producer of Physical Fest, invites you to join the discussion and create a path for female working-class artists.
Thursday 13th June, 11.00am – 3.00pm, Unity Theatre
Tickets: £5 (bring your lunch along)
Kill a Witch or Die Trying
Meraki Collective celebrate the formidable power of women in their dance theatre work, Kill a Witch or Die Trying. Once burned at the stake, now falling victim to the trolls of twitter, women are constantly demonised for speaking and standing out. Take your seat for this ‘visually captivating, belly laugh inducing’ performance.
Thursday 13th June, 4.00pm, Unity Theatre
(Pay what you decide)
Dive
What a treat – three extracts of new work in one evening! Dive features Teatro Pomodoro, Madame Senorita and the Reetta Honkakoski Company, exploring each piece through clown, bouffant and physical styles of theatre. These performances are bound to be unusual, intense and unforgettable.
Friday 14th June, 7.30pm, Unity Theatre
Tickets: £8 – £10
The Thinking Body of a Physical Actor
Physical theatre practitioner Reeta Honkakoski runs a playful day of technical exercises, improvisation and ensemble work. She strives to find a physical form for that which is invisible, using her artistic roots in Corporeal Mime to explore expression of thought through the body.
Saturday 15th June, 10.00am – 5.00pm, The Arts Theatre
Tickets: £45
For tickets and more information on Physical Fest, go to their website.