Start of the Physical Fest

This week sees the start of the seventh annual Physical Fest, courtesy of  Liverpool-based physical theatre company Tmesis. A unique festival for performers and enthusiasts comprising a variety of workshops and performances, it will launch on Saturday, May 28 with a free event, a North West premiere performance from renowned French performance artist Mildred Rambaud at St Luke’s Church, and will continue until June 4. The only festival of its kind in Europe, Physical Fest brings the world's best local, national and international movement and physical theatre artists to Liverpool in an eight day programme of events, workshops, taster classes and performances. The aim is to make Liverpool a hub for physical theatre, and has previously enjoyed success having hosted workshops from some of the world’s pioneers in movement and physical theatre such as Yoshi Oida (Peter Brook), Tanya Khabarova (Derevo), Jean-Laurent Sasporters (Pina Bausch Tanztheater), Javier Marzan (Peepolykus) and Ira Seidenstein (Cirque De Soleil) to name a few. Festival organiser, Elinor Randle of Tmesis, said: ‘We created Physical Fest with the aim of bringing nationally and internationally renowned physical theatre artists to Merseyside in order to bring astonishing work to the region and showcase premiere performance so that both local and national practitioners and enthusiasts of physical theatre could learn from the best, improving their skills and talents. Seven years later, Physical Fest is becoming one of the biggest dates in the diary for practitioners all over Europe who come along to take part.” Highlights of the programme include award-winning Theatre Ad Infinitum and Scottish Dance Theatre, who will feature in a double bill at the Unity on May 31, and Fest Jam, the hour long improvisation event, will return for a second outing on June 1 at the Contemporary Urban Centre. A new addition is Fest Live, an open platform showcase for new physical work from both emerging and established artists will take place at the Unity on June 2. The festival will close on June 4 with the Physical Fest Cabaret at the Contemporary Urban Centre, hosted by local comedy duo Random Acts of Wildness.

For booking and more information, visit www.physicalfest.com.