Bel Horizon: Post Event Video

Renowned French performance company Le G. Bistaki returned to Newbury on Saturday 6 August with their promenade outdoor performance, Bel Horizon - the latest installment in our free outdoor arts programme.

Mixing circus, dance and physical theatre, over 250 people were taken on a journey across Greenham Common, being encouraged into a whimsical world of exaggerated movement, visual surrealism and humorous encounters. Set against the backdrop of Greenham Common’s varied landscapes, the ‘Bel Horizons’ or ‘beautiful views’ along the route helped set each scene, with the dried grassland in some areas evoking scenes from old Western films. Against these backdrops, performers in long black skirts and cowboy hats danced, juggled china vases, flew down zip lines and fought with fencing swords, tracking the evolving, wordless relationships of the characters.

“The choreography was excellent…The posing was excellent. The costumes, everything. We thought it was sort of reminiscent of those ‘spaghetti westerns’, it very much felt like it had that theme.” Audience Members

Prior to performing Bel Horizon, the company also led a residential training course at 101 Outdoor Arts for outdoor arts professionals to explore creating site specific performance. Le G. Bistaki are celebrated as one of France’s most inventive performance companies and last visited Newbury in 2018.

The next event in our free outdoor arts programme is a dance double bill, Lives of Clay and Bonded, on Sunday 18 September 2022. To find out more visit www.cornexchangenew.com or call our Box Office on 01635 522733!