Two performers gracefully balancing betwixt a ladder. Their bodies are parallel to the ground as their heads face each other’s and their legs spread outwards on either side of the ladder. The first performer is a young black man wearing a black bandana, grey tank top, black joggers and grey socks. The second performer is a young white man sporting a beard wearing a white t-shirt, black jeans and black sneakers.

The Show

Four different bodies collide. A show about how things need to fall apart before they can fall into place.

Their lives are different, but one thing unites them: they’re frustrated with their bodies changing, ageing, breaking, no longer obeying. Outraged that they can’t override this. They climb, hang, balance, slide, collapse, hold and hug. They examine marks life has left on their bodies. In the background, fragments of film and audio mirror these marks in the wounds inflicted on our planet.

Jamie Beddard’s voice as a writer cuts through the noise. He throws the expected out the window. Instead, he tells us raw, relatable stories about what it means to be delicate. Come experience these characters as they implode, assess the damage, and maybe rebuild themselves. They’re fighting the grind of what’s expected. And you might feel inspired to do the same.

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

Age guidance: 12+ (some swearing).

GIF: Black illustration of a young man and wheelchair user playing the drums.

GIF by Holly O’Neil. Photo at the top © Olufsen Media