Aerial performance, music, narrative and creative audio description will combine in Flight Paths, the new production from Yellow Earth and Extant that embarks on a UK tour this spring. The ground-breaking production features a cast of four blind performers weaving together their own stories. Book your tickets now!
The production kicks off its tour on Tuesday 5 February 2019 at Harlow Playhouse Theatre, ending on Tuesday 5 March at The Arena, Wolverhampton.
Flight Paths is a multi-media, story-telling circus production that mixes aerial performance with live music, narrative storytelling and audio description utilising new sound technology. Moving between tradition and modernity the performers tell of their own experiences as artists from Japan, Nigeria, USA and Australia. The unique production brings the traditions of the Biwa Hoshi and Goze to UK theatre audiences for the first time.
Who were the Biwa Hoshi?
We talk to co-director @KumikoMendl in this audio preview of #FlightPaths. Landing at @Arena_Theatre #Wolverhampton on Tue 5 Mar @yellowearthuk https://t.co/EwDf3Pagy3 pic.twitter.com/2Gd83LNVio
— Extant (@extantltd) January 25, 2019
Amelia Cavallo and Sarah Houbolt lead the cast, with Takashi Kikuchi and Victoria Oruwari. American-born performer Cavallo performed as an aerialist at the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, while Houbolt previously competed at the Sydney Paralympic Games. Kikuchi is an acclaimed viola player and Oruwari is a singer who last year competed in the BBC show All Together Now.
Glen Neath, who wrote Flight Paths, is an award winning novelist and theatre maker whose work includes Séance , The Arabian Nights and The Long Count.
Speaking about the production, Co-Directors Kumiko Mendl and Maria Oshodi said: “Yellow Earth and Extant are delighted to be working alongside each other to bring our five year collaboration on this production to fruition. Like so much of our company’s previous work, Flight Paths has proven to be not just an ambitious and thrilling piece of theatre, but a catalyst for real inclusive and representational change.”
Who is Yellow Earth?
Yellow Earth is the UK’s leading British East Asian Theatre company. It was was formed in 1995 when its aim was to develop work that would widen the choice and type of roles being offered to British East Asian (BEA) actors. Since then, it has worked with many of the best BEA actors, writers, directors and designers to create a wide range of award-winning work. Kumiko Mendl became Artistic Director in 2011 and set out to engage audiences in participatory and immersive work in new spaces with an ambition to produce fresh, vibrant work that reflects the British East Asian experience.
Who is Extant?
Extant is the UK’s leading professional performing arts company of visually impaired people. It is also the first theatre company to integrate access into aerial performance. The company explores visual impairment to create unique and innovative artistic experiences that place visually impaired people at the centre of all it does. It was founded in 1977. Since then the company’s strength has been its drive to innovate, creating exciting, shared experiences for visually impaired and sighted audiences that uncover new collaborations, forms and practises.
