Gandini Juggling’s magic-inspired Heka debuted in the UK in January, captivating sold-out crowds and earning a wave of 4- and 5-star reviews. On May 10, the production embarks on a brief UK tour, visiting Oxford, Salford, Norwich, and Nottingham.
Heka sees director and Sean Gandini revisiting his childhood fascination with magic which began when he was growing up in Havana, Cuba. Using magic as a source of creativity and a choreographic language, he deconstructs its much-loved tropes and archetypes to create new and unexpected juggling tricks – with Gandini presiding over proceedings as well as participating.
Infused with a captivating blend of humour and philosophy, Heka draws inspiration from 20th-century magic tricks, mind games and sleights of hand. Embracing elements of contemporary choreography, it reimagines magic using repetition, counterpoint and misdirection and explores the dynamics of group magic, probing the possibilities of multiple hands and gestures and delving into the nuances of delay and anticipation. The result is a mesmerising choreography of juggling where everything is definitely not as it seems…
The female jugglers emerge as the true protagonists of Heka, channelling the Egyptian goddess after whom the show is named, and challenging the gender stereotypes that have long persisted in the field of magic.
Magicians Yann Frisch from France and Kalle Nio from Finland worked as magic consultants on the show. The performers are Kate Boschetti, Sean Gandini, Tedros Girmaye, Doreen Grossman, Sakari Männistö, Yu-Hsien Wu and Kati Ylä-Hokkala.
Visit https://www.gandinijuggling.com/en for full tour dates and booking.
