A circus show full of 70s showbiz glamour
Coming up on 18 March, The Band is a quirky and humorous production presented by Levantes Dance Theatre which combines circus, dance and theatre. We spoke to performer and Levantes' artistic director and designer Eleni Edipidi to find out more about what to expect from the show...
Hi Eleni. Can you tell us a little bit more about Levantes Dance Theatre and the kind of work you produce?
Established in 2005, Levantes Dance Theatre creates bright, bold and beautiful performance for theatres and outdoor spaces that tours across the UK and internationally. With striking visuals, playful humour and charming storytelling, our work transcends dance and theatre conventions to offer new and intriguing experiences for audiences and valuable participation and skills development opportunities for emerging creatives and communities.
We are Associate Artists at Greenwich Dance and Anystage Productions and have also been supported or commissioned by high-calibre organisations including Royal Opera House, The Place, Crying Out Loud, The Albany, Circulate London and DepArts.
Our signature walkabout and Cabaret performance CANAPE ART has been performed for Dance Umbrella, Greenwich & Docklands International Festival, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Southbank Centre and Duckie amongst others and continues to tour to festivals and events nationally.
The Band has been touring to national and international theatres since 2017 and had its outdoor premiere at Imagine Luton and Bloomsbury Festival in 2018.
The show is about Sandy and Bruno. What is the relationship like between the pair?
Sandy and Bruno met in the seventies to form a band. She was fame hungry; he was doomed to follow her to the ends of the earth. A one-hit wonder, they’re now washed up, cruelly forgotten. Bruno is calm, meticulous, loves his food and loves Sandy. Sandy is nervous, unsettled, loves drama, and adores Bruno. They both depend on each other after being together for over 20 years.
How do you combine circus skills with theatre and dance in the show?
We collaborated with Ockham's Razor joint artistic director, Tina Koch, on the aerial performance element of the show. We wanted to emphasise physically the relationship between the couple. After some creative sessions in the rehearsal room, we came up with a counterweight system where both performers are attached by a rope. If one detaches the other one will fall... both performers depend on each other emotionally and physically.
Can you tell us more about the soundtrack?
The soundtrack was chosen before the whole show even existed! Whenever I make a new show, I always select tracks and sounds that I like listening to over and over without getting bored. They could be songs from a movie, something I heard on the radio, a suggestion from a friend, a song from an advert. With the soundtrack of The Band, I wanted to keep a certain feel and style. It's a mix of beautiful instrumental songs, a greek song, 70's ballads, and even one by George Ezra!
The design for the show looks really vibrant! What inspired your design choices?
Levantes Dance Theatre IS colour and vibrancy! We make bold, bright and beautiful performance for audiences of all ages. Striking visuals and curious characters are signature features of any of our performances. For The Band I let the design be inspired by the characters and the story. Sandy is a 'loud' character, hence her space had to be elevated, and the carpet in her room is the same colour as her hair. Whereas Bruno is an efficient and simple character, and his guitar becomes his table and his kitchen.
The Band will be at the Corn Exchange on Wednesday 18 March. Find out more