Strange Fictions and Stefan Jovanović Kaasa will present the premiere of When the Clarion Came to Call at Cockpit Theatre from 31 October to 1 November.
Created, written, and performed by Stefan Jovanović Kaasa, When the Clarion Came to Call is a physical theatre performance inspired by myth and the cycle of trauma, healing, and repair.
The production centres on the clarion, a mystical bird and symbol of queer resilience, which calls out when trouble is near. On stage, nine ceramic urns carry the ashes of their own stories, with Stefan embodying the winged healer in an ivory, statue-like aesthetic.
Through dance, physical theatre, spoken word, storytelling, and song, Stefan conveys the story of each urn. The piece draws on their personal experiences of displacement from former Yugoslavia and their work as a somatic traumatologist—a therapist focusing on healing trauma by addressing its physical effects on the body and nervous system.
When the Clarion Came to Call is the first piece for Strange Fictions, Stefan’s new company, following previous work for organisations including Sadler’s Wells. Strange Fictions is dedicated to crafting interdisciplinary works that reimagine collective belonging, queer futurity, and embodied repair.
Stefan Jovanović Kaasa said, “I began working with clay and ceramics specifically for this project. Each one holds traces of earth, water, and fire — and with them, the emotional sediment of things unspoken or unfinished. When the Clarion Came to Call is a work about transformation. In many ways, the ceramic process mirrors what we go through as human beings: the softness of wet clay, the slow drying of air, the intensity of fire or gas used to fix it into form. Much like a traumatic event, if we’re not careful, these moments can harden into a kind of fixed reality — stories we tell ourselves that become rigid and resistant to change. The urns in the piece represent those narratives: heavy with meaning, imposing at first glance, and yet — always fragile. Each time I perform, the ceramics chip or fracture just a little more. Their erosion becomes part of the work. It’s a reminder that even the most seemingly solid forms can break — and that our inner demons, however monstrous, are also delicate.”
The creative team includes music composition and sound design by Adam Kaasa, song lyrics by Stefan Jovanović Kaasa, choreographic support by Yi-Chun Liu, lighting design and production coordination by Seth Rook Williams, costume design by Curtis Oland, set design by Stefan Jovanović Kaasa, hair and make-up design by Hamilton Stansfield, outside eye Eva Martinez, movement direction by Stephanie McMann, photography by Camilla Greenwell, and video/film by Daniel Chan.
Running time is 75 minutes, and the show is suitable for ages 14 and up. Content warnings include haze effects, the use of fine powder materials on stage, and themes related to trauma, discrimination, grief, and personal/collective transformation.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
