An exploration of LGBTQIA+ identity and the bonds of companionship, Knot uses circus to consider the reality of intimacy. The UK premiere of Knot tells the story of two acrobats – one gay and one straight – knotted together in an unconventional relationship while struggling to find love.
This is a chance encounter between two acrobats, one a frustrated lover and the other a jilted dreamer. It is the story of two hearts making sense of imperfection. Knot is a funny and moving piece of circus theatre combining astonishing partner acrobatics, dance and storytelling.
Performer and co-creator Nikki Rummer comments, We wanted the reality of our partnership to be the centre of the performance. Whenever we get off stage, people say to us, ‘You must really trust each other!’ Which is true, I trust JD not to drop me, and he trusts me not to kick him in the head. But underneath that is a much richer mix of fondness and irritability and creative compatibility. Humour is so important to telling the story of what ‘lies beneath the surface’, and movement can be such a powerful means of showing the emotion.
Working with rising star Ben Duke of Lost Dog Dance, Nikki and JD combine a theatrical narrative with stunning acrobatic skills to examine their own relationship, its durability and intensity. Their hand-to-hand skills express, in stunning displays of strength and trust, the tension and dependency between two people.
But there’s much more to Knot than acrobatic tricks. Through all their strength, athleticism and stability, Nikki and JD retain the fragility of an intense relationship. (Eve Ryan, North West End).
Knot is co-commissioned and supported by Jacksons Lane, Déda, Jerwood Choreographic Research Project II, The National Centre for Circus Arts, Arts Council England and Warwick Arts Centre. As part of Roundhouse’s CircusFest 2018, Knot can be seen at The Place in London.
UK Tour: Saturday 10th February – Friday 11th May 2018
The Old Market, Brighton: Saturday 3rd March 2018
