Why? / The Rascally Diner

This year’s Garden Party will look a little different to our usual get together in the park, but you can bet it’ll still be a magical weekend of free performance. This year, we’ll have four Zones, each with several performances from incredible artists and companies. Book this Zone to see Gravity & Levity’s WHY? and The Rascally Diner by LAStheatre. Both of Saturday’s performances in this Zone will be BSL interpreted. Booking for the Garden Party will open at 10am, Thursday 6 May

GRAVITY & LEVITY
WHY?

Why? is both a tender and exhilarating aerial duet exploring themes of life, loss, surrender and acceptance in a soft and moving way. The piece offers a visceral experience for its audiences that not only legitimises the emotional one but creates space for the viewer to bring their own understanding to it, triggering a resonance, not dictating their experience.

Performed in two parts, Why? uses climbing harnesses and abseil lines to dance on a bespoke free-standing wall – ‘vertical dance’. Originally created in 2004, it formed the keystone for Gravity & Levity’s first full-length production which toured nationally in 2005.

In 2019 the piece was re-imagined with the same creative team and cast 15 years on is and is performed to a powerfully haunting commissioned sound score, with spoken word interspersed throughout the piece.

LASTHEATRE
THE RASCALLY DINER

Chef Rufus Skumskins O’Parsley is famous for creating some of the world’s most disgusting dishes. You might know him from the award-winning children’s book The Rascally Cake, written by Jeanne Willis and Korky Paul.

Rufus went viral after baking a huge, human-eating cake from ingredients including snot, blubber and a cowpat. He only escaped being gobbled up by the gruesome gateau because he tasted awful – a result of his foul diet. For ten years now, Rufus has been on a mission to make everyone taste bad and protect them from the creature he cooked up.

Join LAStheatre for a riotous performance for humans aged 6+.

No Cakes.

Access Information – What to expect from the performances

Why?: Why? is an aerial dance performance in two parts, with dancers performing against a wall and rigged on rope at 3m in the air. Audience members can sit or stand around three sides of the stage, and can be enjoyed from all angles. The piece is highly visual. There is spoken word used in the soundtrack which is important in the meaning of the piece, although it can still be enjoyed as a purely visual performance. Why? touches on themes of death and grief, but in a soft, light-touch way.

Saturday performances of Why? will be BSL interpreted.

The Rascally Diner: With puppets, colourful staging and many props, this is a really interactive, sensory piece of theatre. Spoken English text and songs play an important role in telling the story, although BSL interpretation will ensure that you can follow and along and enjoy the plot. The show includes puppets, and touches on themes of disappearing parents. With dancing and shouting, audience engagement is encouraged throughout.

Saturday performances of The Rascally Diner will be BSL interpreted. 

If you have any questions about the accessibility of this year’s Garden Party, or any of our Festival events, please email Rachael at access@nnfestival.org.uk

Explore the other Garden Party Zones

MEarth MOthers / BONDED

Roll Play / IRMÃ-sister

GOOD YOUTES WALK