Children’s theatre company Theatre-Rites and aerialists Ockham’s Razor are uniting for the first time for Hang On, a mix of contemporary circus, movement, humour and live percussion at York Theatre Royal.

Theatre-Rites’ artistic director Sue Buckmaster has collaborated with composer Olly Fox, choreographer Alex Broadie, sound designer Nick Manning, costume designer Tina Bicat and Ockham’s Razor members Alex Harvey, Tina Koch and Charlotte Mooney.

All this week, the three aerialists are performing on stage with juggler Stefano Di Renzo, percussionist Nao Masuda and actor/improviser Eric MacLennan.

Both Theatre-Rites and Ockham’s Razor develop their work from their response to an object, and in the case of Hang On, the object is a metal mobile, six metres in height, constructed out of three separate triangles. Each triangle is capable of bearing three people and the mobile is created live on stage, triangle by triangle becoming progressively higher.

As the aerialists hang, balance, play and move through each triangle, ultimately the cast members all try to find their place, or their balance, within a precarious world in a show for five year olds and upwards.

“Sue Buckmaster came to see us at Circus Futures, a circus showcase in Bristol, two years ago and she has a circus heritage, so Theatre-Rites were interested to do a show with a circus basis,” says the half-French, half-German Tina Koch.

“I think they were interested in working with us because we’re one of the few circus companies that use a narrative arc.”

Ockham’s Razor had to select an object around which the performance could be constructed.

“Sue asked us to come up with the concept of an object, and originally we wanted a hanging mobile with the audience being like the babies watching from underneath,” says Charlotte.

“It can be really interesting to watch aerial work from different perspectives,” reasons Alex.

“We then realised our original concept was impractical, but once we found a mobile that we were happy with, we had it made by a chap called Rupert Blakeley from Chipping Norton, who calculated everything from the designs we drew,” says Charlotte.

“It’s quite complicated because it works to our specific weights… … “And I’m two-thirds of Charlotte’s weight, who is two-thirds of Alex’s weight!” says Tina.


Hang On, York Theatre Royal, tonight at 7.30pm and tomorrow at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 623568.