Cardiff and Bradford-based theatre company Common/Wealth have unveiled a striking set of first-look production images for their new immersive show, Demand The Impossible, captured by photographer Jon Pountney.
The world premiere takes place this week at the Corn Exchange, Newport, running from 6–13 October 2025, with a press night scheduled for 7 October.
Part-performance, part-gig, and part-sensory experience, Demand The Impossible invites audiences to interrogate truth, trust, and power. The production explores the uncomfortable relationships between the state, police, and citizens through live visuals, pumping techno, augmented reality streams, and a reverberating score.
The show draws inspiration from the ongoing public inquiry into the ‘Spycops’ scandal, which revealed that over 144 undercover officers infiltrated more than 1,000 political groups between 1968 and 2010. Some officers even stole the identities of deceased children and fathered children under false pretences.
Demand The Impossible untangles the impact of these covert operations on real lives, shining a light on “the futures they stole from us.”
The cast includes Bianca Ali, Hussina Raja, and Soul Roberts. Composition and live music are by Ollie Emanuel, Ruari Floyd, and Jassen Summogum.
The creative team features Director Rhiannon White, Creative Technologist and Performer Nathaniel Mason, Choreographer Gareth Chambers, and Text by Taylor Edmonds. Dramaturgy is by Sarah Fielding, with Set and Visual Design by Studio of Mark Gubb, Lighting Design by Andy Purves, and Costume and Prop Design by Efa Dyfan.
Production support comes from Nia Thomson (Production Manager), Camilla Brueton (Creative Producer), Chantal Williams (Community Producer), Rachel Dawson (Communications Associate), Eugenia Taylor (Community Co-ordinator), and Sophie Lindsey (Assistant Producer).
Presented in partnership with Police Spies Out of Lives, Undercover Research Group, and the Spycops Info Podcast, Demand The Impossible is funded by Arts Council Wales, Immersive Arts, and The John Ellerman Foundation. It is supported by Wales Millennium Centre and was previously backed by National Theatre Wales.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
