The Shadow returns
24 January 2022Chameleon is excited to announce a UK Spring tour of The Shadow, choreographed by Anthony Missen.
After a break from touring due to covid, we’re super excited to be on the road again, touring the production to theatres across the UK, before returning home for a run in our newly refurbished performance space.
Thu 10 Feb, The Place, London
Thu 24 Feb, The Arts Centre, Edge Hill University
Sat 14 May, Riley Theatre – NSCD, Leeds
Wed 18, Thu 19 & Fri 20 May, Chameleon Studios, Manchester (ticket booking will go live soon)
Thu 26 May, The Civic Barnsley
Looking ahead to the tour, Anthony Missen said: “The last couple of years have been tough for the industry – along with so many others, our touring programme was decimated.
I’m delighted to see things starting to move again, and especially that we’re able to get this work out there again. The Shadow is an incredibly powerful show, one which I’m very proud of, and that I’ll be delighted to share with audiences.”
A dark and psychological thriller told through dance and movement, The Shadow captivated audiences on its first tour in 2018, with audiences describing the production as:
“Brave and fresh”
“Powerful and thought provoking”
“Flipping astonishing”
“Absolutely gorgeous”
“Striking and intricate”
Using an end of the world hypothesis, based on the premise that there is no tomorrow, The Shadow follows six characters and their shadow counterparts, as they are swept into different stories, which slowly reveal hidden personalities, inner worlds and their darker selves.
Anthony says, “The shadow is present in everyone, but we only see it when light shines in particular way. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung identifies the shadow as the unknown or unconscious dark side of our personality. Most of the time we don’t see it at all, or acknowledge it, but it’s always there if you look closely enough.
Everyone has masks they present publicly which may or may not reflect what’s going on privately. We all prefer to put our best face forward. We don’t generally share the things we are embarrassed by, nor readily share comments and opinions which might offend.
It’s said that we all have three faces: our public face; the face that we show to our friends and family; and the face that nobody sees. It’s the latter that is supposedly our truest likeness, and this is what The Shadow explores.”
Highly athletic and physically impressive to watch, The Shadow encompasses a rich mix of dance styles and an innovative and fresh movement language, which carries meaning.
In choreographing The Shadow, Anthony’s method involved taking a collaborative approach. To create an honest and authentic performance, he worked closely with the dancers to help them understand their own shadows and to shape the movement.
Anthony explains: “Audiences recognise honesty, so honesty has to be found. I find the most meaningful performances are when audiences can empathise with the perfomers and feel what they feel. There has to be an authenticity to the performances, and this means the dancers revealing true parts of themselves in the parts they play.”
The incredibly talented cast includes Company Dancers Alice Bonazzi and David Colley, the formidable Lee Clayden, Gustavo Oliveira and Reece Denham, and rising stars, Kadafi Mulula and Alice Marriot, who are working with Chameleon as part of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) apprenticeship scheme.
Supporting the Company’s ongoing committed to developing emerging dance talent, the shadows will be performed by Tim Merryfield, Rachel Gittens, Molly Crabtree and Jack Nelson along with dance students from Edge Hill University, The Place and NSCD, as the production tours to the venues.
Visit our Tour Dates page for full performance details and booking links.
Watch the behind-the-scenes film below to hear more from Anthony about the making of The Shadow, his creative process and the inspiration behind the production.