Ballooniana! by Alexander Knott, produced by BoxLess Theatre, comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre this month.
In 1969, man walked on the moon. That was quite good. In 1550 BC, an old man built a pair of wings from wax and feathers and sailed across the bay. That was alright. In 1783, for the first time, the human race took flight. And nothing would ever be the same again.
Ballooniana! takes the story of the creation of the hot air balloon, and melds it with Boxless Theatre’s signature style of combining physical theatre, original music and spoken word poetry.
Boxless are, ‘a symbol of resurgence in the arts’ says Sir Michael Morpurgo. Off the back of winning the 2022 Off West End Award for Theatre for Young People, Families and Those with Special Needs, Boxless presents this witty, heartwarming new play about the relationship between the Montgolfier brothers, the inventors of the hot air balloon.
The play has something for everyone and is about achieving the impossible, about confronting our fears to achieve our wildest dreams and about knowing that It Is Possible.
Alexander Knott said ‘I wanted to tell a story that harked back to the era of scientific discovery presented as a sideshow, as a diversion, the sadness as well as the joy of it all, and ultimately fuse these stories of human endeavour together to create a hopeful play for right now. Joyful in part, melancholy in places, with a restless and vibrant energy – the Montgolfier Brothers for 2022. We can’t wait to share it.’
Ballooniana! promises to be a carnival of creativity, a celebration of what mankind can achieve, told by two female performers, Freya Sharp and Zöe Grain, playing the Montgolfier brothers. The show is accompanied by live music and original scores from James Demaine, with sound design and additional music by Samuel Heron and is a positive, uplifting night at the theatre.
Ballooniana! is a quirky, off beat, true story, presented theatrically with plenty of humour and heart, and elements of physical theatre. As BoxLess Theatre’s 5th Anniversary Production Ballooniana! is a celebration of liveness, aliveness and live theatre.
This project is presented by the New Wimbledon Theatre’s Premieres Season of New Writing and was supported by New Diorama Theatre Broadgate during Research and Development.
Alexander Knott and BoxLess Theatre are bringing their new play Ballooniana! to the New Wimbledon Theatre from 22 September – 1 October 2022.
