Come for the show, stay for the woe! Tears, laughter and magic INTRODUCTION ‘A total pleasure ... filled with lyricism and freshness’ Le Monde ‘A full-on sensory experience …… it’s heartfelt, technically bold and visually spectacular’ Plays To See, London ‘Miraculous! Wonderful! Enchanting! Magic! Fascinating!’ Le Figaro ‘Funny, poetic, intelligent ......’ Time Out Paris **** 'We only work with simple things that everyone has in their home; charcoal, pencils, felt-tip pens, paper and cardboard. Our shows are about creativity, which also belongs to childhood.' Jean-Baptiste Maillet and Romain Bermond (STEREOPTIK) Paper, ink, sand and silhouettes spring into being in the skilled hands of two talented visual artists. They draw and play music as they build a big-top universe, their striking creations projected onto a large screen. The amazing result is cinema without film, mixing arts and crafts simplicity with a poetic sensibility. 'Come for the show, stay for the woe!' A sinister ringmaster invites the inhabitants of a gloomy city to his circus tent, where he presides over catastrophic acts. The trapeze artist plummets, the animal trainer is devoured, the human cannonball is lost in space… until a juggler releases the flash of colour everyone has been waiting for and suddenly the world is a brighter, happier place. Born from the imagination of French illustrator Pef (author and illustrator of The Prince of Motordu), the fantastical story of Dark Circus is animated onstage by STEREOPTIK duo, Romain Bermond and Jean-Baptiste Maillet. They are at once illustrators, musicians, projectionists, shadow-puppeteers, cameramen and sound designers. Surrounded by everyday drawing materials and a collection of musical instruments, they share the highly-skilled low-tech work that brings to life Dark Circus' wondrous, cartoon-like apparitions. Accompanied by a whimsical electro-acoustic soundtrack, this feel-good show literally emerges before your eyes. You watch with childlike wonder, its appeal is impossible to resist. Dark Circus was premiered at the 2015 Avignon Festival. It’s first overseas performances were at the London International Mime Festival where it scored a hit with critics and public alike. Future tours are scheduled across Europe and the US in 2017. The HKAF performances mark the company’s Asian debut. Don’t miss such unique celebration of creativity. PRODUCTION Original Story Pef Creation and Performance Romain Bermond Jean-Baptiste Maillet SPECIAL NOTES Approx 1 hr with no interval Latecomers will not be admitted Suitable for ages 7 or above