This autumn, Birmingham audiences are in for a treat as Motionhouse bring their brand-new production Hidden to the Hippodrome. Known for their breath-taking blend of dance, circus, and cutting-edge digital projections, Motionhouse are masters of creating shows that leave audiences amazed.
We caught up with Kevin Finnan MBE, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the company, to find out more about Hidden, what makes it special, and why Birmingham is the perfect place to experience it.
Q&A with Kevin Finnan
Q: Hidden has been described as thrilling and thought-provoking. How would you sum it up in a few words for Birmingham audiences who are thinking about booking?
Kevin: We have a fantastic company of dancers who are thrilling, extraordinary and moving to watch. Hidden is a visually stunning show in which you can see how even in the darkest of times we can find the best in ourselves. I believe it’s a show for our times that appeals on many levels to all ages. You can marvel at the skills of the dancers and their passion and power, enjoy the visual magic of the projections and the changing environment on stage or delve into the story of the show which I really believe touches our audiences. Hopefully you will do all three.
Q: Birmingham Hippodrome is such an iconic stage, what excites you most about bringing Hidden here?
Kevin: We have a great partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome as we are an Associate Company, and they have helped us in the creation of Hidden. We have brought many shows of all scales to Birmingham dating back to 2012 when we built a full-size ship in front of the Town Hall for The Voyage, a spectacular show to open the 2012 Cultural festival and our first major partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome. We have worked with them ever since and together we have built a wonderful audience in Birmingham. Bringing our touring work to their main stage is always a highlight – it is a spectacular stage which the dancers love, and the auditorium gives the audience a fabulous view of the work.
Q: The show blends breath-taking dance, circus feats, digital projections, and a shape-shifting set. How do all these elements come together in the Hippodrome space?
Kevin: Within the show we project onto 10 moving screens as well as onto the floor and the back wall. This allows us to create a flowing, engaging and ever-changing visual world. The set also changes mercurially throughout the show, creating a dynamic architecture which we bring alive with our interplay of dance, circus and theatre. The Hippodrome is a perfect space for this show to be seen.
Q: Birmingham audiences (including myself) saw your large-scale spectacle Wondrous Stories in Centenary Square during the 2022 Festival. How does performing inside the Hippodrome compare to creating an outdoor event for the city?
Kevin: Indoor and outdoor shows have very different dynamic connections and relationships between performers and audiences. Both are really exciting to make and deliver and audiences are at the heart of my creation process for both indoor and outdoor work.
Theatre is where people go to see work, they come with a deep attention and focus, the lights go down, they focus on the stage where the world we create comes to life. It’s a designated space that is built for people to show their art. The audience are ready and primed to receive it.
The large outdoor shows take place in the everyday and the audiences see the world as it is, in its place, but then that is changed by the actions of the show. Equally the show itself changes the audience’s perception of the space in which its being shown. Its unexpected, you don’t know how the audience will react and behave.
It’s very exciting because both have powerful individual connections with audiences – in the venue they are sat ready and receiving it and their focus feeds the performers on stage; and outdoors the live audience are creating it, they are part of it, many have never seen anything like it before, so the dynamics are different. But they are both extremely moving experiences in their own right.
Q: What do you hope people in Birmingham will feel or take away after seeing Hidden?
Kevin: While we have been touring Hidden we have had many audience members who have expressed how thrilled they were by the performers’ amazing skills. We have also had people talking to us about how emotionally moving they found the show and how they related to it and their own lives and experiences.
The show is composed so that you have the opportunity to feel empathy with the performers and hopefully feel a connection to your own experiences in life. This has been a really powerful force for me because the purpose of my work is to communicate and to create a space to share the up and down moments in our lives. I hope that Birmingham audiences will leave remembering the show and thinking about it in the days ahead.
Q: Motionhouse is known for its edge-of-the-seat moments. Can you share one behind-the-scenes rehearsal story that even surprised you?
Kevin: Our dancers love to push themselves, so I must say they surprise me quite often with the things that they want to try! One time that springs to mind is when we were creating the second act and I came into the studio after a break to find Llewelyn walking up the set – which at that point is on a 45-degree angle – with Beth standing on his shoulders. They showed me that they could do it and they were confident for it to be included in the show. I work in partnership with the performers, and they really want to show their skills and abilities that they have worked so hard on. They share each new development of what they can do and, whenever I can, I find a place for it in the show as long as it serves the narrative.
Q: For anyone new to contemporary dance or circus, why is Hidden the perfect show to try at the Hippodrome?
Kevin: You don’t have to be a dance fan or dance ‘specialist’ to enjoy our work, so even if you’ve never seen dance before, come along and give it a go – we’d love to see you there! It’s got something for everyone – thrilling circus, beautiful dance, digital projections that help set the scene and tell the story and a really intriguing set that transforms the space.
Thank you, Kevin, for taking the time to talk with us.
If you would like to see this jaw-dropping performance this weekend at Birmingham Hippodrome you can catch it at 7:30pm on Friday 10th October and 2:30pm and 7:30pm on Saturday 11th October.
Suitable for ages 7 plus (although over 3s are welcome). There’s a special offer when booking that a child’s ticket is half-price with a full paying adult ticket.
More details, a video and to book: https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/motionhouse-hidden/#performances