Ensemble Festival: Gorilla Circus - UNITY

UNITY is a reflection on community, an act of protest, a call for change and a dream for the future. A large-scale aerial spectacular that merges immersive theatre, circus and community stories in a powerful but intimate way, allowing audiences to be close to and in amongst the action.

A large-scale production, UNITY merges immersive theatre, circus, and community stories in a powerful but intimate way. The scale and height of the performances allows audiences to be close and in amongst the action as hair hanging artists, dance trapeze and high wire walkers travel overhead. The performers are accompanied by a ‘cast’ of mannequins who floating up from ground level represent a generation of underserved people. In each location a local poet is recruited to create a unique piece of text which is mixed into the existing music to create the soundtrack for the show.

The poem and show are divided into three sections. The first section is focussed on the past, what struggles have communities faced or overcome? Do people feel listened to? What positive or negative outcomes have there been? The second section is a call to action. What kind of society do we want to live in? What needs to change and how can we achieve it? Finally, the third section focuses on the positivity of unified communities striving for a common goal. What makes people proud of their area? What is their vision for the future?

Ensemble Festival 2023 is part of At the Docks 2023 – a brand-new summer season of arts, culture, and events at the Royal Docks.

What3Words Location: Heave.lamp.remark