Following a week long world premiere at London’s Barbican - which saw it nominated for the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance - dance theatre show Lay Down Your Burdens is out on UK tour and invites audiences into its pub setting to explore the beauty of humanity.
Featuring a cast of six dancer/performers and two musicians, the show is set with the audience on three sides as guests in the pub. Choreographer Rhiannon Faith invites everyone to meet the regulars and hear their stories as they arrive and join the conversations that go round the bar.
Originally inspired by the Bob Dylan song Lay Down Your Weary Tune, music is a key element and features an original score by John Victor, of London band Gengahr, alongside live original music played by ceilidh duo Olta Duo. As members of the audience join in the conversation through various tasks and supported testimonials, their voices are recorded and edited live to create a collective "weary tune", bespoke to each performance and played as the final moments of the show.
Lay Down Your Burdens was developed out of conversations with communities and from the experiences of company members. The show is about individual suffering and discusses personal grief and serious illness.
Rhiannon Faith explains: "Lay Down Your Burdens invites us to share what we are carrying. It’s a space in which we are listened to and where our worries and troubles are held - and in return there’s music, poetry and dance. But mostly, in the theatre, in our pub, we see one another and for a brief moment we are all connected.
"Current world events can feel overwhelming, so it seems vital for us to come together to share the weight of our troubles, knowing we aren't alone."
Catch the show at Chester Storyhouse (April 1-2) ; Bradford City of Culture 2025 (April 29-30), and Barnsley Civic (May 2-3).
Suitable for over 16s. Contains strong language and scenes that some may find upsetting.
More info and tickets here