Last week we completed the final rehearsal period of Emerge/ncy, ready for its premiere performance as part of Brighton Festival on 28^th and 29^th May. We climbed, devised, got used to our fantastic costumes and inhabited the 8 metre tall ‘structure’, which will be our base during the 8 hour durational performances that will take place next weekend and over the summer at Watford Festival and GDIF.

Personally, it all started six weeks or so ago when I signed up for regular Pilates classes, joined a climbing wall and found out about aerial classes because the show is going to involve off-ground activity, amongst other feats of endurance. As someone who has never had much upper body strength, I needed to embark on an eclectic training programme lasting about 6 weeks, or so I thought, but actually it lasts indefinitely, because once you’ve started you can’t stop. It has been frustrating and rewarding in turns, as I wrestled with trying to climb a rope, building core strength, climbing walls, getting scared, giving up, crying and starting again.

Emerge/ncy is going to be extraordinary to perform, and we hope it will be compelling for the folk who come to experience the performances with us, you don’t have to be there for the full 8 hours!

Fee xx