FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR : SUMMER SEASON PREVIEW
Hello Hounslow! It’s May and it’s starting to feel a bit like summer, isn’t it? And that can only mean one thing - it’s time to head down to Bell Square again!
We have a great programme of outdoor performance lined up for you, right through to the end of the year. As usual, there’s a mix of dance, theatre, acrobatics and circus. Some of these artists have wowed audiences at Bell Square before and return with their latest shows; others will be joining us for the first time. As ever, some are from the UK and some are international - this year, we will see some extraordinary performers from France, Catalunya and Poland, and further afield from Kenya and Morocco.
Most important of all, though, is you! We love being down at Bell Square, setting up for the show, having chats with so many of you as you pass by during the day. Being with you as the crowd gathers, ready for the start of the show. And then the bell rings out – as it does before the start of every show – and the anticipation is huge. Watching the show, all together. Chats afterwards about what we’ve just seen. It’s all about bringing us together to watch something special and making our High Street social.
So let me tell you a little bit about the first few shows of the season.
May
The Black Blues Brothers kick off our season with the most fantastic acrobatics. They’re fun, they’re fast, they’re irresistible. They’ve got totally infectious energy, jaw-dropping routines, amazing human pyramids and they just guarantee to make you smile.
Later in May, we welcome Vanhulle Dance Theatre to Bell Square for the first time. Vanhulle are a young company from Cambridge doing great outdoor dance shows. Bringing together hip hop and contemporary dance, their new show Dovetail delves into how we rebuild and rediscover ourselves with the help of another.
June
Catalan circus artist, Max Calaf, arrives with his trampoline in June. His quirky show, Anyday, is set entirely on the trampoline and it’s quite unbelievable just how high this guy can jump! The show has been touring all over the world for over 10 years and is stunning. One not to miss!
Then come Compagnie Accrorap, one of the biggest hip-hop companies in France. Their show, Prelude, mixes dance and electro acoustic music, gradually bringing all the dancers together in a beautiful energy which has audiences on the edge of their seats.
July
July starts with an exciting new partnership for Bell Square with Shubbak, London’s biennial festival that opens a ‘window’ on contemporary Arab cultures. Moroccan circus artist, Said Mouhssine, with his Company Zid, brings a distinctive brand of circus, comedy and parkour to Bell Square, telling stories from the streets all over the world.
Later in July, we bring back Rara Woulib from Marseilles. They’re a long-established street theatre company who led us all round the back streets of Hounslow last summer, ending up with a community dance at Bell Square. What a night that was. The air was filled with music and laughter. My favourite audience quote of the night was, ‘Thank you for making Hounslow beautiful’ – and it really was. Well, they’re back again this summer with their new show Vertige(s) – and they’ll be asking us what we care about and why it’s important to be out on the street!
Come and celebrate the start of the summer with us this Saturday, 6 May! Don’t miss the amazing Black Blues Brothers at 3pm or again at 7pm.