Now, I See
conceived and directed by Lanre Malaolu
Theatre Royal Stratford East
Writer/Director/Movement Director - Lanre Malaolu
Composer - Jan Brzezinski
Scenographer - Ingrid Hu
Costume Designer - Debbie Duru
Lighting Designer - Ryan Day
Sound Designer - Pär Carlsson
Associate Director - Kirk-Ann Roberts
Assistant Choreographer - Rochea Dyer
Production Dramaturg - Roy Alexander Weise
Dramaturg - Anthony Simpson-Pike
Artist Collaboration - Joseph Ijoyemi
CAST
KIERON / Oliver Alvin-Wilson
DAYO / Nnabiko Ejimofor
ADEYEYE / Tendai Humphrey Sitima
Photography by Camilla Greenwell
Two brothers reunite to honour their sibling's life at a celebration of remembrance. As they begin to explore letting go, they are forced to confront their shared past and long-standing estrangement.
Following the sell-out run of SAMSKARA (The Yard), this brand-new work by Lanre Malaolu explores the challenge of forgiving yourself for a lifetime of suppressed emotion, while celebrating the profound bond of brotherhood and the resilience that can be found in joy.
The scenography for the production is inspired by the motif of water in the writing and the emphasis of giving space to the actors and lighting. The quality of water, rather than its aesthetics, is interpreted through numerous strands of black fabric stretching across the space and extending from the depth of the stage to the front of the proscenium. Completely invisible at times, these fabric strips help to create a fluid and ethereal space under lighting. A glass casket filled with water as well as simple furniture and fluorescent lights complement this abstract visual language.
Nominated for 2025 Olivier Award for best new production in affiliate theatre.
★★★★
‘A coffin-like box filled with water sits on one side of the stage but is central to Ingrid Hu’s scenography – an unsettling image with hints of purification. Water as a whole is key and comes to seem baptismal.’ (The Guardian)
★★★★
‘Malaolu’s choreography is muscular and exquisitely expressive, complementing the text with joyous dance breaks and sudden snaps into sinuous, slow-motion flailing. Ingrid Hu’s spare set allows plenty of space for all the dramatic movement, and provides a striking focal point with a water-filled glass casket. Occasionally, performers dip their arms inside, bringing up fistfuls of liquid that pours between their fingers or splashes over the stage, creating graceful arcs under Ryan Day’s nimble lights.’ (The Stage)
★★★★
‘Malaolu’s movement expresses emotion – joy, pain, relief – where words fail; enhancing the drama, rather than distracting. Set and staging further complement the movement with a recurring rippling motif extending from drapery across the proscenium arch through to water filling a perspex coffin ever present downstage.’ (The Spy in the Stalls)
Something In The Air (Es Liegt Was In Der Luft)
directed by Sue Buckmaster
Theatre Rites and Schauspielhaus Bochum
Director - Sue Buckmaster
Collaborating designer - Ingrid Hu
Composer - Jessica Dannheisser
Sound Design - Ed Lewis
Puppet Designer & Maker - Naomi Oppenheim
Associate Director - Zoë Grain
CAST
Abenaa Prempeh / Performer
Markus Schabbing / Puppeteer
William Bartley Cooper / Performer
Photography by Brigit Hupfeld
We are all made of air. The whole world is made of air. We are not so separate.
So, take a deep breath and enjoy this new production. You will see air with different eyes. Can we see it at all? Can we capture air? How can we protect it?
Breathe out and find out.
Something In The Air is a site-specific, family performance for children aged 4 to 8. Working as a collaborating designer on development of this devised performance alongside director Sue Buckmaster, the design process started with exploring air as a material and our relationship with it. Air in its multifaceted presence in our daily life is weaved into a narrative fusing puppetry, object manipulation, costume and set design.
Material experimentation and making is an integral part of the design process. For this project, a key decision is made early on not to use PVC - a common material used in inflatables which is toxic. This leads to the use of TPU, a recyclable thermoplastic that has been mainly used in packcraft and water sports equipment. A range of inflatable ‘plants’ - including both fan-powered inflatables as well as air-filled TPU inflatables - are integrated into the overall scenography.
The costume design features a concertina-like ‘pump’ attached to different parts of the body to externalise the idea of a breathing organ worn by the three Air Keepers. Made from folded paper and fabric, these body pumps are connected to the costume using magnets and can be taken out as standalone objects.
Something In The Air is performed at the Schauspielhaus’ new theatre space Theaterrevier, which is dedicated to presenting work for children and young people.
The Global Playground
Manchester International Festival & Theatre Rites
Great Northern Warehouse, 2021
Director - Sue Buckmaster
Choreographer - Gregory Maqoma
Designer - Ingrid Hu
Composer - Ayanna Witter-Johnson
Lighting Designer - Guy Hoare
Sound Designer - Nick Sagar
Production Manager - Ali Beale
Digital Film & Production - Martin Riley
Assistant Director - Rebecca Taylor Sharman
Assistant Choreographer - Gemma Nixon
Assistant Designer - Michael Douglas
Puppet Makers - Stitches & Glue, Talk to the Hand
Performers - Jahmarley Bachelor, Thulani Chauke, Annie Edwards, Sean Garratt, Merlin Jones, Kennedy Junior Muntanga, Charmene Pang
Photography by Tristram Kenton
A group of dancers meet to make a film – but things get wonderfully weird when the camera takes on a life of its own…
We can now connect with anyone, in person and on screen – but is the camera our friend, our playmate or something else entirely? Partly inspired by our year under lockdown, The Global Playground explored the magic of our first encounters, how we play together, how we connect and sometimes disconnect – and ultimately how we make the most of the time we spend together, however we spend it.
Curiouser
Norway and UK tour
Performers - Gerd Elin Aase (dybwikdans), Luke Birch (Flexer & Sandiland), understudy Marie Ronold Mathisen (dybwikdans)
Choreographers - Siri Dybwik, Yael Flexer
Digital artist - Nic Sandiland
Animator - Per Dybvig
Composer and Dramaturg - Nils Christian Fossdal
Set designer - Ingrid Hu
Costume designers - Siri Dybwik and Ingrid Hu
Lighting design/production management - Natalie Rowland
Photography by Morten Berentsen
2018
RAS Sandnes Kulturhus, Norway
Varen Randaberg Kulturscene, Norway
The Lowry Salford
Ideas Test at GlassBox Theatre, Gillingham
The Place Theatre, London
Brighton Festival
A digital dance show for ages 3-6 by Flexer & Sandiland in collaboration with Norwegian company dybwikdans.
Guided by two friendly dance-performers, adults and children delve into magical caves, explore leafy forests, soar through starry night skies, and meet playful characters; loosely inspired by the children’s classic Alice in Wonderland.
This is an interactive dance performance where audiences can choose to sit back and watch or get up and get involved. The performance incorporates animated hand-drawn projection, dance, sound, text and interactive digital objects, creating an intimate yet spectacular experience.
WE RAISE OUR HANDS IN THE SANCTUARY
The Albany, London
Writers, directors – Daniel Fulvio, Martin Moriarty, Inky Cloak Company
Choreographer Mina Aidoo
Set and Costume Designer – Ingrid Hu
Lighting designer –Marty Langthorne
Sound – Xana
Cast – Jahvel Hall, Oseloka Obi, Carl Mullaney, Dean Graham, Jordan Ajadi, Shawn Willis
Photography by Leon Csernohlavek
Co-produced by Inky Cloak and The Albany
The Albany, London
2-11 February 2017
Combining dance, drama and the club sounds of the 1980s, We Raise Our Hands in the Sanctuary tells an uplifting story of the power of gay friendship and the enduring importance of queer spaces.
Disenchanted by the London gay disco scene of 1981, two best friends build their own underground club where devotees escape the racism, hardship and homophobia that stalk the city’s streets. But just as they make it big, ambition, addiction and the dawning onslaught of AIDS threaten to tear their friendship apart.
‘A vibrant exploration of nightclub culture in the 1980s… expertly integrates drama, music and dance.’ ★★★★ Sunday Express
‘Taking inspiration from an eclectic mix the decade’s idols ranging from Freddy Mercury to Boy George, the costume design works in conjunction with Ajadi’s and Willis’ performances… to set the scene in a satisfying way unattainable by traditional prop methods. The Albany’s stage gives a robust platform to each any every scenario, at one point mirroring the DJ booth with a church pulpit seamlessly and reinforcing the spiritual and therapeutic value of the sanctuary.’
The Prickle
‘Ingrid Hu’s colourful and multi-levelled tetris style set doubles as runways and cloakrooms, DJ booths and dance floors. No setting is improbable as we are lifted out of the realm of verisimilitude and the actors move around the space beautifully. The cabaret, semi-thrust configuration of the room evokes a club atmosphere and is sympathetic to the Albany’s slightly unusual layout.’
Max May (Live Theatre)
ZERAFFA GIRAFFA
An Omnibus Theatre and Little Angel Theatre co-production
A play by Sabrina Mahfouz
Based on the book by Dianne Hofmeyr and illustrated by Jane Ray
Director – Elgiva Field
Puppets and Puppetry – Matthew Hutchinson
Set and Costume Designer – Ingrid Hu
Composer – Candida Caldicot
Lighting Designer – Oscar Wyatt
Sound Designer – Jon McCleod
Cast – Ashton Owen, Andre Refig, Nadia Shash
Photography by Ellie Kurttz
21 September – 4 November, 2017 Little Angel Theatre, London
25 Nov – 17 Dec, 2017 Omnibus Theatre, London
Production for Young People aged 0-7
Based on the book by award-winning children’s author Dianne Hofmeyr, Zeraffa Giraffa is inspired by the true tale of a giraffe and its keeper Atir. Sent as a diplomatic gift from the Great Pasha of Egypt to the King of France in the 1820s, the story follows the various stages of the epic trip taken by these two companions. The pair are thrown through terrifying storms and encounter all sorts of nerve jangling creatures – and not to mention locals – before they arrive in France where no one has seen an animal like Zeraffa before.
Working in close collaboration with the creative team, the design of the stage and costumes evolved from ideas based around children’s perception of the visual world. Objects, scenery and costumes transform with and by the puppets and performers in unexpected and imaginative ways.
★★★★★ “a delightful production” Theatre Bubble
★★★★ “This is such a creative production with spellbinding surprises galore for the little ones, not to mention the wonderfully mature themes of difference and friendship”
Everything Theatre
★★★★ “interesting insights for all ages to ponder on”
London Theatre 1
Light / Dark
SU-EN Butoh Company, Uppsala Concert and Congress studio, Sweden
Installation performance
Filament LED light bulbs, cables, paper
Choreography - SU-EN
Light installation - Ingrid Hu
Music - Mikael Stavöstrand
Performers - Madeleine Holmund, Heiko Klandt
Photography by Ingrid Hu
We perceive light because we experience darkness. It is never just one or the other.
For over a century, we live as if we no longer rely on daylight. It is a paradox of wanting both. Artificial light presents a physiological dilemma, and more so in a place like Sweden where duration of daylight varies from one extremity to the other.
The installation is a response to this constant power negotiation between light and dark, seen and unseen. An artificial topography of light that evolves and adapts around our changing body. At the centre, a luminous element remains constant, reminding us the physical reality that dictates our natural world. This topography illuminates, in total darkness, and in our mind.
Invited by SU-EN, the collaboration started with a research and development period around light as a material. Using commonly available domestic light bulbs, the process involved dipping light bulbs in paint to reveal the glowing filament and making the glass to be its own light shade.
Produced by SU-EN Butoh Company and Uppsala Konsert & Kongress, Sweden
Chotto Xenos
Akram Khan Company
World tour
XENOS Artistic Direction and Original Choreography - Akram Khan
Chotto Xenos Direction and Adaptation - Sue Buckmaster (Theatre-Rites)
Set Designer - Ingrid Hu
Lighting Designer - Guy Hoare
Original Music - Domenico Angarano, inspired by Vincenzo Lamagna’s score for XENOS
Sound Design - Domenico Angarano, Phil Wood
Costume Design - Kimie Nakano
Film and Projection Design - Lucy Cash
Assistant Choreographer - Nicola Monaco
Rehearsal Directors - Nicolas Ricchini, Amy Butler
Dancer - Guilhem Chatir or Kennedy Junior Muntanga
Photography by Jean Louis Fernandez
How does war begin? And how does it end? It depends on who is telling the story.
Inspired by the award winning final full-length solo XENOS, Chotto Xenos is a captivating dance production that takes young audiences back in time, exploring the often forgotten and untold stories of World War 1 colonial soldiers, in order to shine light on our present and future.
Chotto Xenos will be performed by either Guilhem Chatir or Kennedy Junior Muntanga and is for anyone over the age of 8.
