A spectacular free outdoor fire show created by Mandala Young Company will celebrate 30 years of the Oxford-Grenoble twinning partnership. The inaugural performances will take place in Oxford at Florence Park on Wednesday 24th April at both 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Two further performances happen the following day at Gloucester Green on Thursday 25th April at 7.30pm and 8.30pm, then again in the summer at Parc Michallon, Grenoble, France.
The unique show is based on a story by world famous Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho and asks the question: ‘What does it mean to be human?’ Titled ‘Lucifer and Miss Primrose’, the performance is a collaboration between Oxford’s diverse theatre group, Mandala Young Company and Histoires 100 Fins from Grenoble. The French company specialises in using fire and pyrotechnics to tell stories through theatre, circus and dance performances.
This innovative fire and theatre show will be part of an international young people’s theatre festival in Grenoble in the summer run by Crearc (Centre for Creation, Research and Culture), a French organisation dedicated to promoting exchanges between young actors across Europe. It is also part of Oxford City Council’s LET’S GROW Project.
“Audiences will be mesmerised and thrilled by ‘Lucifer and Miss Primrose’, said Mandala Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Yasmin Sidhwa “and bringing together young actors from both Oxford and Grenoble is the perfect way to celebrate the twinning of the two cities.”
Mandala Young Company is made up of Oxford-based young people with a passion for theatre and the performing arts. Rehearsals for the company and the young people from Histoires 100 Fins begin on 13th April, the 20 young people will rehearse with Director – Yasmin Sidhwa, French Fire Dance Leader Axel Tuscher and German Choreographer – Diana Mick over 2 weeks in Oxford and will also perform in Grenoble at the 31st Young European Theatre Rencontres Festival from 29th June to 7th July 2019.