REHEARSALS are about to begin in Norway for a new circus show co produced by the Theatre Royal Plymouth which will be staged at the venue later this summer.

Delicate revolves around four different characters united in their frustration at their bodies changing, ageing, breaking and no longer obeying. They delicately climb, hang, balance, slide, collapse and hug through the three acts of ‘chaos, acceptance and renewal’. As they examine the marks that life has left on their bodies, fragments of film and audio mirror this in the damage now inflicted on our planet.

The show was conceived by Jamie Beddard and brought to life for the stage by co-director Eilis Bevan-Davis and circus director, Lydia Harper.

It is presented by Extraordinary Bodies and co-produced with Figurteatret i Nordland (Nordland Visual Theatre) and Theatre Royal Plymouth. Delicate is BSL interpreted, audio described and captioned.

Extraordinary Bodies is a collaboration between Cirque Bijou and Diverse City, who have worked together for the last decade creating multi-disciplinary circus shows with disabled and non-disabled artists.

Delicate combines acrobatics, group dance, and ballet from an ex-professional dancer who hasn’t performed professionally for the past fifty years.

Delicate comes to The Drum at Theatre Royal Plymouth from September 30 to October 15.

Lydia Harper, circus director of Delicate said: ‘Circus is a unique way to communicate with audiences: it can articulate pain, joy, and many different emotions with every part of your body in a way that goes beyond language.

This show encourages audiences to feel the delicacy of someone else and recognise it in themselves. We hope that they will leave the venue thinking about what delicacy and go out into the world recognising where it can be found.’

The show opens up the question of what it means to be delicate, exploring different interpretations and inviting people to consider their own delicacy and what it means to them.

The idea for Delicate came from a conversation between Jamie Beddard and another performer, Aislinn Mulligan when they were working together on another Extraordinary Bodies show.

Jamie said: ‘Delicate was inspired by what happens when the body becomes unruly or no longer does what it once did. Circus is delicate and about risk-taking, experimenting, and putting your body out there. Our new show opens up the question of what it means to be delicate, explores different interpretations of it and we hope to inspire people to consider their own delicacy and what it means to them.

“Working together with Theatre Royal Plymouth is a fantastic opportunity for Extraordinary Bodies to reach Plymouth’s audiences and communities with our work.’

Delicate does not follow traditional, expected circus techniques and is developed as a collective. The co-directors combine the performers’ individual talents to create a new kind of circus. The cast is made up of people with different circus skills, ages, ethnic backgrounds, and disabled and non-disabled bodies, coming together to explore their delicacy.

Hugh Borthwick, head of production at Theatre Royal Plymouth, said: ‘It’s a real honour and joy to be working with this wonderful company of creatives and cast on this exciting new production. The piece is simply charming and graceful.’