Quay Arts’ stage shrinks to just 8m3 as groundbreaking French company Atelier LeFeuvre et André come to the Isle of Wight with their remarkable show 8m3.

house and Crying Out Loud present Atelier LeFeuvre et André in 8m3 at Quay Arts, Newport on Saturday 24 November at 8pm.

This double-bill exquisitely blends comedy and theatre with breathtaking circus skills to tell the duo’s wordless stories in incredible ways. Funny, moving, and physically stunning, it will enthral audiences of all ages.

Jean-Paul LeFeuvre and Didier André are renowned in Europe for reinventing circus over the past three decades. With astonishing skills and limitless imaginations, they set the bar for what circus can achieve.

8m3 features two exceptional shows lasting 45 minutes each (running time is 105 minutes total, including an interval):

André’s Chez Moi Circus, a man finds himself in a tiny caravan, dreaming of the great juggler he once was before his partner left him after their juggling duo collapsed. He shares his tale – without words but through breathtaking illusion, moments of magic, and a face that tranforms to tell a thousand stories.

In Ni Omnibus, the space’s tiny dimensions not made for LeFeuvre’s lanky frame but he makes it his playground regardless. With adventurous contortions, a little ladder, a long pole, and an agilely traversed rope, he skilfully conquers the space to the audience’s delight.

LeFeuvre and André have been performing together since the late 1980s. Neither of their backgrounds hinted at a career in circus: LeFeuvre qualified in bovine/porcine agricultural and worked on the family farm; André was an industrial draftsman with Moulinex. Tempted away by the unicycle and juggling, they attended workshops with the pioneering Cirque du Docteur Paradi before entering the celebrated National Centre of Circus Arts (in its opening year). On graduating, they formed their first company, Cirque O, and their careers began.

Doors open at 7pm and the show begins at 8pm in the Anthony Minghella Theatre. Tickets are £10 in advance or £12 on the door.

Call Quay Arts’ box office on 01983 822490 or buy online www.quayarts.org