NoFit State Circus - Sunday 19th 7.30 - the big finale

Dorchester’s extraordinary week-long circus residency reaches its climax on Sunday (September 19) with a flame-filled free finale show by up to 100 performers.

Aerialists will sweep across the doughnut stage filling the centre of the rings as the reds take on the blues in Air Ball - a stunning aerial ball game invented for the show by the skilled and talented acrobats from NoFit State Circus.

But this is not any circus show, and these are not any performers. While up to 30 are trained members of the company, the remainder are local people from community groups who have run away with the circus for the week for a series of workshops and rehearsals.

Freerunners, bellydancers, cheerleaders, gymnasts, dancers and around 100 schoolchildren have all worked with the company’s professional performers during the week - a total of around 300 people, of whom a quarter have been invited to join the show.


During their residency in Dorchester, Dorset as part of the Inside Out 2010 Festival, artistic director Orit Azaz, explains how the company works with performers from the local community over the course of a week - and then includes up to 80 of them in the spectacular finale show.

Circus skills taster sessions off to a flying start

Dozens of children and young people from schools and community groups across the area have been getting a taste of life in the circus with the NoFit State Circus Parklife project in Maumbury Rings.

Free runners, cheerleaders, majorettes, bellydancers experts and many others have been sharing skills with the highly trained members of the Cardiff-based company.

Over the next three days, community groups will come back to the circus for a series of intensive public rehearsals before the grand finale show on Sunday 19th at 7.30 - with people having picnics on site from 6.30pm.

Stubbly chinned cheerleaders surprise shoppers

Bemused shoppers in Dorchester market were greeted by a group of stubbly chinned cheerleaders in pink tutus...

"We're auditioning for the circus - do you think we'll get in," one asked.

Then they danced a short routine waving letters spelling PARKLIFE...

"I think it's a group called NoFit State Circus over in Maumbury Rings," one market stall holder told me. "They're doing a spectacular free performance on Sunday evening from 7.30pm."

Behold - the Rock Charmer...

The Rock Charmer is here…half way up the side of a cliff - a figure emerges from behind a sandy coloured rock and starts producing extraordinary sound…

On a cliff face next to him, giant columns of rock come to life.

The music opens like a monastic chant in an ancient abbey cloister - but as the picture dissolves into a view of massive cogs and gears the sounds change to the mechanical noises of saws and stone cutting.

This is the Rock Charmer - a collaboration between music legend Kimmo Pohjonen and the enchanting live cinema experience of the Paper Cinema. Just as a snake charmer makes the snake reveal himself, Kimmo and Paper Cinema are charming the rocks to reveal their stories and their history in sounds and live animation.

The setting feels Mediterranean - but is in fact Winspit, a magical spot on the Dorset coast near Swanage where Purbeck stone quarrying has created a clifftop amphithatre and series of square fronted caves. 

The performance is part of Dorset’s Inside Out festival of extraordinary events in extraordinary places - both the location and the performance don’t get much more extraordinary than this - a rock face in front of the audience, a sheer drop behind them, and a mile long walk down a stone path from the Square and Compasses pub.

The performance, on September 16th and 17th at 7pm offers a few extra surprises as well - including a cave lined with sculptures of prehistoric creatures skillfully projected onto the walls like ancient cave paintings.

Audience numbers are strictly limited on safety grounds and there are just a few ticket left - appropriately  from Poole Lighthouse on 0844 4068666. 

Moonfleet buffoons get a workout

Moonfleet’s buffoons have been getting a good workout on Dorchester’s new outdoor gym before their start a gruelling national tour with their hit play later this week.

After last year’s hugely successful run, Dorset-based Angel Exit theatre company are re-touring Moonfleet to nearly 30 venues across the UK, starting at Sturminster Newton and Lyme Regis this Wednesday and Thursday, September 15 and 16th, and finishing at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre at the end of October.

During a break in rehearsals at Dorchester Arts, the five actors decided to make the most of the newly installed gym in the borough gardens. 

Their play tells the story of a straggling gang of mischievous buffoons, washed up amongst the flotsam onto the wild shores of Chesil Beach, who conspire to spin a tale of a young boy clashing with smugglers and excise men in his quest to find Blackbeard’s cursed diamond and win the hand of his beloved Grace. 

“It’s a wonderful show -  we’re delighted that Angel Exit are touring it again and that they have had such a great response from theatres across the country,” said Dorchester Arts Chair, Alastair Nisbet. In October, it comes back to the Mowlem at Swanage and the Lighthouse at Poole - sadly we could not get a date for them in Dorchester.”

There’s just one change of personnel in this year’s show - newcomer Kai Simmons (pictured below with Lynne Forbes) takes over from James Mitchell who was unable to rejoin them.

Full tour details are on the company website www.angelexit.co.uk

NoFit State circus - biggest show in town

Leading contemporary circus company NoFit State are in Dorchester for an extraordinary week of free workshops and performance as part of the 2010 Inside Out Dorset Festival.

"This could be the most spectacular show the Rings has seen since Roman times...." said Alastair Nisbet, chair of Dorchester Arts, one of the partner organisations behind the festival. The 10 day event got under way over the weekend with a series of dance events in Bournemouth, and the European premiere of a new art installation  - Congregation  -  in Bournemouth Square.

NoFit State are assembling their huge doughnut stage in Maumbury Rings - before an open meeting on Monday 13th at 6pm, when members of the public are invited to meet members of the company and hear more about the residency and performance of Parklife.

From Tuesday to Saturday, the company are running a series of circus workshops with local community groups and schools, before a finale performance of the show Parklife at 7.30pm on Sunday 19th, with pre-show performances from 6.30pm.

"Maumbury Rings is a perfect venue for this sort of huge outdoor spectacle - we're thrilled to have NoFit State with us for the week and I hope as many people as possible will both get involved and come to the show. In other towns, people would be having to pay £25 to take their family to see Parklife - but thanks to Inside Out, it's all free."

As well as he finale show, people are invited to take part in taster sessions with the company on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th from 4-5pm and to watch open rehearsals on Thursday and Friday from 3.30-4pm and Saturday from 2.30-3.30pm.

Touring 30 venues across the UK - Moonfleet

15 September • Sturminster Exchange 01258 475 137 
16 September • Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis • 01297 442 138  
23 October • Mowlem Theatre, Swanage • 01929 422 239 •  
27-28 October • Lighthouse, Poole 

Dorchester Arts' resident physical theatre company Angel Exit are taking their sell-out show, Moonfleet back on tour to 25 venues across the UK this Autumn. A fearsome and funny show for everyone with a sense of adventure aged from 8 to 108. 

A straggling gang of hilarious buffoons are washed up amongst the flotsam onto the wild shores of Chesil Beach, and conspire to spin this yarn of a young orphan boy clashing with both smugglers and excise men in his quest to find Blackbeard’s lost treasure. 

Inspired by the rugged landscape of the Dorset coastline and J Meade Falkner’s classic novel Moonfleet, Angel Exit weave together live music, striking physicality, storytelling and puppets to tell a thrilling tale of smuggling, dastardly deeds and wicked escapades. 

More details and a full tour list are on the Angel Exit website.

All aboard for Sam Kelly's Station House

The new Bluesnights season kicks off with the legendary Sam Kelly and his band Station House.

'Station House' is a rarity in being led by a drummer. Five-times UK blues drummer of the year, Sam's band plays a unique mix of blues with a flavour of funk, soul, and reggae, reflecting the backgrounds and experiences of the musicians in the band. 

The band started out as the ‘house band’ playing at Bob’s Goodtime Blues at the Station Tavern, London W10 in the mid 90’s. A regularly Sunday lunchtime spot turned into a long-term residency at the venue and the ‘house band’ simply became ‘Station House’.

Don't miss them!

"...really superb musical entertainment - nobody wanted the evening to stop!" - Lewis Harris, Bluesnight's Review (October 2008)

 www.sam-kelly.com