News Story
Leading up to the circus, comedy and chaos that is Sophie's Surprise 29th, we caught up with performers Nathan, Isis, and Katherine from Three Legged Race Productions to dive into the inspiration behind the show, what they hope audiences will take away from the experience and more.
How are you all feeling about your upcoming show in Worthing?
We are very excited, we will have just finished a run in Montreal for the circus festival there, but it’ll be the first time we’ve done the show in the UK this year. We are also bringing in some new cast and upgrading it, so are looking forward to showing it to our audiences! And we can’t wait to dangle from the beautiful ceiling of Worthing Pavilion.
What inspired you to create this show?
The three of us (Nathan, Isis and Katharine, who make up Three Legged Race Productions) had all been working and performing as circus artists for years, and we felt there was a gap in the industry between line up cabaret shows and contemporary circus shows that we could fill…a new genre that incorporates interactive elements, character, comedy and high level technique but with the emphasis on entertainment and fun, and with inspiration taken from late 90s/early 2000s movies, music and character tropes.
What are some of the biggest challenges you faced in creating/putting on this piece?
Even with a small-ish cast, it’s hard to make shows work financially - a problem that stretches throughout the Arts. We’ve had no outside funding so have all taken on personal risk to make it happen - but we think it’s worth it!
What can the audience expect from Sophie’s Surprise 29th, without giving too much away?
They can expect to be blown away by acrobatic skills, to get involved (but only if they want to!) in some games and maybe even a touch of karaoke, to laugh out loud at the comedy, and generally just to have an amazing time at the best party they’ve ever been to…
What do you hope the audience will take away from this show?
Our main aim is to give people 90 minutes of pure unadulterated entertainment and joy…we want them to marvel at the circus skills and get fully immersed in the characters, and come away amazed and inspired. Sometimes we sneak in surreptitious little bits of political commentary and observational comedy, so if they’d like to also consider us to be clever and witty, we won’t mind.
Summarise the show in three words.
Circus, Comedy, Chaos
This isn't any ordinary birthday celebration, and you're invited! Come along with Sophie's Surprise 29th on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th July, performing and partying at The Pavilion Theatre.