Luca Silvestrini’s Protein invites audiences to take part in a journey from Woolwich Common to Royal Arsenal Riverside, accompanied along the way by dance, live music and storytelling. En Route will move through the streets and iconic public spaces of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, where the participating audience will discover and be surprised by elements of performance set against and interacting with the surroundings and the landscapes of the route.
Audiences will meet at Woolwich Common, a hidden London gem, and be guided in groups by a performer encountering nature as they go. A stop at the 19th century St George’s Garrison Church will give the audience a chance to enjoy the beautiful ruin and garden, before continuing down towards the river for the final performance at Royal Arsenal Riverside.
Protein is returning to connect people and places in their home borough following the success of (In)visible Dancing 2019, performed with over 150 local participants in Woolwich Town Centre. Since March, the company has been offering Open Fridays, devoting one day a week to engage dancers and local people with online and outdoor dance classes and interactive strolls in Woolwich. Their stories and experiences have informed the making of En Route.
Luca Silvestrini said, “En Route is not just a new piece of work, it’s a memorable return to feeling and being together. We have chosen walking as a way of rebuilding and refreshing our relationships with people and the outdoors. We look forward to journeying with the public, starting this summer in Woolwich and in other locations from next year.”
Formed in 1997 and one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, Luca Silvestrini’s Protein uses a blend of original choreography, humour and music to entertain and provoke audiences. The company’s idiosyncratic dance theatre is provoked by the everyday and its repertoire includes the award-winning LOL (lots of love), which has toured extensively since its 2011 debut, Border Tales, which peels back stereotypes about multicultural Britain, and the award-winning The Little Prince. Protein was awarded the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Independent Dance Company 2011 and was nominated again in 2016.
The event may last up to 3.5 hours and is approximately 4.5km in distance
