With the involvement of the country’s theatre and dance companies, Latitude has established itself as one of the leading and most innovative performing arts festivals. This year’s exciting programme profiles the complexity of modern society, from gender identity to mental health, environmental activism to reclaiming history; on offer is a diverse range of programming to evoke surprise, joy and debate. Expect the unexpected!
Celebrating their 25th Birthday, Frantic Assembly kick off festivities by headlining the Theatre Arena with new show Sometimes Thinking – a celebration of the hours invested in daydreaming – written by Phil Porter especially for Latitude. The show that rocked Edinburgh and started a thousand conversations also comes to Latitude; Daughter presented by Quiptake, The Theatre Centre, and Pandemic Theatre, faces toxic masculinity head on, distilling it into the figure of one very funny, very engaging, very troubled man.
Another theatre highlight is Historic Royal Palace’s riotous Long Live Queen James – a show which explores the extraordinary life of King James I: this historical tale of gender, identity, and sexuality is brought to life with a mix of storytelling, audience interaction and contemporary queer performances. Continuing the theme of reframing old narratives, Figs in Wigs present a work-in-progress performance of their apocalyptic feminist adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic, in Little Wimmin. Theatre Re return to the festival with Birth, a poignant and uplifting visual theatre piece exploring the bond between three generations of women and their shared loss.
Latitude’s stunning Waterfront Stage is globally renowned for showcasing the best talent in dance productions and companies. This year the stage plays host to some stunning productions. Northern Ballet present celebrated choreographer Morgann Runacre-Temple’s first work for the company, an intimate and moving portrait of Nannerl Mozart, the talented yet overshadowed sister of Wolfgang Mozart, in The Kingdom of Back. Sadler’s Wells return to the Waterfront Stage for a twelfth year to present Jesús Carmona, a pioneer in flamenco’s evolution, Rambert, one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies that’ll return to Latitude with a brand-new work by French choreographer Marion Motin, and BBC Young Dancer finalists.
Dance Umbrella present contemporary trailblazer Oona Doherty who performs Hope Hunt; an explosive and viscerally intense piece which dramatically unpicks male identity. Another highlight is Boy Blue who return with REBEL, an exhilarating new dance and film production that captures the voices of young people with challenging questions around cultural identity.
