Extraordinary Bodies brand new musical production Waldo’s Circus of Magic and terror, a co-production with the Bristol Old Vic and the Theatre Royal Plymouth is touring after premiering at the Bristol Old Vic with recorded audio description for blind and partially sighted people available at all performances. 

Set in 1933 Brandenburg, the Nazis are burning books and suspending civil rights. Many are desperate to escape, but for Waldo and his travelling circus of outcasts, acrobats and aerialists, ‘the show must go on’. The cast includes a bold and diverse company of actors, musicians and aerialists to bring this daring tale of humanity, courage and defiance to the stage in Extraordinary Bodies inimitable style.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Claire Hodgson, Co-Director of Waldor and two of the cast, Tilly Lee-Kronick who plays peter the down trodden ring boy, Waldo’s son and Jonny Leitch a manual wheelchair user who plays Renay an aerialist performing on the trapeze who is the same age as peter to find out more about this brand new fantastic musical, circus, stage production.

Claire began by telling Toby about the background to her company Extraordinary Bodies and the story behind the making of Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror.

Tilly and Jonny then gave a bit of an outline to their characters Peter and Renay along with how they worked together on an amazing trapeze scene in the show.

Claire and Jonny then talked about the brilliant score and soundtrack to Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror composed by Charles Hazelwood from the Paraorchestra and how the music is used to in some ways announce the appearance of characters on stage. 

Toby ended the interview by asking Claire, Tilly and Jonny what they would like audiences to come away with from seeing Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror. 

Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror is fully accessible to everyone with recorded audio described introductory notes, recorded audio description available at every performance along with captioning and BSL. There will also be the availability of touch tours for blind and partially sighted patrons too  as the production tours around the country until early June. 

More details about the tour of Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror along with venue details and dates plus more about Extraordinary Bodies can be found by visiting their website - https://www.extraordinarybodies.org.uk

Image shows: A trapeze artist from the production swinging through the air with two officers watching to the left of the image (© Paul Blakemore)