Smashed2

Accompanying the performance, we invite you to a live digital introduction as well as a live audience discussion (in English) with Artistic Director Sean Gandini afterwards.

Gandini Juggling, Great Britain

Welcome to the dark side of juggling. For more than 30 years Gandini Juggling have made a name for themselves as trailblazers in the field of new circus. Directors Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala present their new stage show “Smashed2,” a playful yet subversive comment on their previous hit “Smashed.”

So now "Smashed2" at the Ruhrfestspiele: Oranges instead of apples, watermelons instead of dishes, and the most significant change in the cast. In this sequel, gender roles are reversed to reveal hidden power dynamics on stage. The artists sabotage one another and push each other to the point of absolute escalation. The show explores the tender side of relationships, the longing and infatuation, as well as the darker elements of tension, rivalry, and power struggles.

Inspired by the work of the great choreographer Pina Bausch, Gandini and Ylä-Hokkala integrate elements of gestural choreography with the intricate patterns and cascades of solo and ensemble juggling. The result is a new vision of juggling which is performed with meticulous unison and split-second timing. Simultaneously evoking pleasure and disquiet, “Smashed2” conjures up powerful visuals that playfully challenge conventions of etiquette, dress, and body language. It revels in the taste of forbidden fruit and frames the battle of the sexes with subtle irony.

„A bravura entertainment for all ages, this is a juicy treat from first bite to its mid-air core.“
The Herald