Showwomen

Spectacle, Danger, Resistance, Leopard Print, Ectoplasm...
The untold herstory of extraordinary British working-class entertainment from immigrant, queer, activist and occult perspectives.1940's body magic star Koringa, 1930's pioneer clown Lulu Adams, 1950s female dare-devil Florence Shufflebottom and 1880's teeth hanging aerialist superstar Miss La La have inspired an exploration of lesser-known stories of extraordinary women in variety performance from a century ago.

Marisa Carnesky performs alongside cabaret and performance stars hair hanger/comedienne Fancy Chance, sword and spoken word artist Livia Kojo Alour and physical and fire performer Lucifire, interweaving live action, in-depth interviews and archival footage to create a dreamlike landscape mixing death defying stunts, strange and emotive acts, political resistance and secret backstage rituals.

Expect witchy collective going-ons in full leopard print, naked crocodile women scaling walls, ladders of swords, live hair hanging, never ending pom poms and ectoplasmic clowns, SHOWWOMEN channels entertainment heritage to create visions of new matriarchal performance futures.

The performance will be followed by a 45 min panel discussion with the performers and chaired by Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of City and Culture at the University of Sheffield, founder and Research Director of the National Fairground and Circus Archive (NFCA) and Chair of the Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust.