Barrowland Ballet take over Scotland with two shows this year

Award-winning dance company Barrowland Ballet present world premiere of Wee Man and the revival of Chunky Jewellery, ahead of Edinburgh Festival Fringe transfers this year.

Article Source: Barrowland Ballet
Last Updated: 27 April 2025 10:50

World premiere of new production Wee Man by Natasha Gilmore opens at Studio Theatre from 16 - 17 May, as Barrowland Ballet are named the first associate company of Edinburgh’s Capital Theatres.

Following sold out success, Chunky Jewellery by Natasha Gilmore, Jude Williams and Ben Duke of Lost Dog returns to Tramway on 29 July, following revival at Cumbernauld Theatre on 2 May.

Barrowland Ballet transfers both productions to Edinburgh Festival Fringe Chunky Jewellery opens from 1 - 24 August at Assembly Rooms Music Hall, as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase Wee Man opens from 5 - 17 August at Assembly @ Dance Base.

Scotland’s leading contemporary dance theatre company Barrowland Ballet take over Scotland this year as they present two productions across Spring and Summer, ahead of their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debuts this August.

New work: Wee Man explores the tension within the toxic rulebook of accepted male behaviours

Barrowland Ballet is excited to present the world premiere of new production Wee Man by award-winning choreographer Natasha Gilmore.

A highly physical and dynamic dance-theatre performance by a cast of men and male teenagers, Wee Man explores the shifting, and unshifting, rules of masculinity across the different generations.

Inspired by Gilmore’s experience of being a mother of teenage boys, it uses candid humour to examine the tension that exists within the toxic rulebook of accepted male behaviour, from the seemingly benign to the dangerous.

Examining both the tenderness and tension of masculinity and male relationships, Wee Man is performed by an intergenerational cast that includes Davey Anderson, Kemono L. Riot, Parsifal James Hurst, and Vince Virr. Each tour venue features a local community cast, bringing new voices and stories to every performance.

The production is scored with an evocative sound design by Luke Sutherland and poetic text developed with Kevin P. Gilday.

Barrowland Ballet have been named as the first associate company of Edinburgh’s Capital Theatres, and Wee Man will have its world premiere at Studio Theatre from Friday 16 - Saturday 17 May at 7pm.

It will tour to Lanterhouse Cumbernauld on Saturday 31 May at 7pm and Johnstone Town Hall on Friday 13 June at 7pm, before transferring to Assembly @ Dance Base as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe from Tuesday 5 - Sunday 17 August at 7pm.

Returning Favourite: Chunky Jewellery is a moving celebration of friendship within the chaos of life, grief and motherhood.

Following sold-out success during its world premiere in 2024, Barrowland Ballet’s heartfelt and hilarious Chunky Jewellery returns with performances across Cumbernauld and Glasgow, ahead of its transfer to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Co-created by Jude Williams, Natasha Gilmore, and Ben Duke (Lost Dog), this deeply personal yet universally resonant work transforms a year of extremes into a moving celebration of friendship.

Focusing on two friends, one year, two births, a death, 18 bursts of laughter, 34,000 tears (each) and one piece of chunky jewellery, it was a year to forget but instead Natasha and Jude decided to make it into a show.

Brutally honest and open-hearted, Chunky Jewellery is a comedy that bites. Combining dance, song and text, it offers audiences an alternative love story; an achingly joyous celebration of sisterhood.

These uncompromising performers team up with Olivier Award nominated Ben Duke of Lost Dog to bring the work to life, with a creative team that includes Davey Anderson as Composer, with original songs by Jude Williams, Elle Taylor as Lighting Designer, Shizuka Hariu as Set Designer and Vicki Manderson as Associate Director.

Chunky Jewellery will open at Lanternhouse Cumbernauld on Friday 2 May at 7pm, before returning to partner organisation Tramway on Tuesday 29 July at 7pm. It will transfer to Assembly Rooms, Music Hall from Friday 1 August - Sunday 24 August at 1.30pm as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Talking about the works, Barrowland Ballet’s Artistic Director Natasha Gilmore said:
‘I'm excited for Barrowland Ballet to be presenting two shows this Spring and Summer, before transferring them to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As a company we believe in the power of using dance and theatre to connect with communities, and we are proud to present Chunky Jewellery and Wee Man to audiences across Scotland this year.

Wee Man is our dance theatre performed by a cast of men and male teenagers. Inspired by my own experience as the mother of teenage boys, it explores the shifting, and unshifting, rules of masculinity across the different generations.

I'm thrilled to have Chunky Jewellery returning after its sold-out success last year. It's deeply personal and incredibly moving, performing alongside Jude is a joy, and it speaks to the importance of having friends and laughter during the ups, downs and rollercoaster of life.'

Alongside the Scottish work on tour, Barrowland Ballet will tour to ASSITEJ in July 2025 - Korea’s prestigious festival for children and young people - with acclaimed production Tiger Tale by Natasha Gilmore and Robert Alan Evans. This will be presented alongside the sister production for children with complex needs, Playful Tiger by Natasha Gilmore in collaboration with Ellie Griffiths.

In Autumn/Winter, The Gift by Natasha Gilmore will receive its Glasgow premiere at the anticipated Citizen’s Theatre Studio Theatre in December 2025, following its Chinese premiere touring to Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou with A.S.K, earlier in 2025.

To find out more about Barrowland Ballet and the company’s work:
barrowlandballet.co.uk

New work: Wee Man by Natasha Gilmore explores the tension within the toxic rulebook of accepted male behaviours
• World premiere at Studio Theatre from Friday 16 - Saturday 17 May at 7pm.
• Lanterhouse Cumbernauld on Saturday 31 May at 7pm
• Johnstone Town Hall on Friday 13 June at 7pm
• Assembly @ Dance Base, as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe from Tuesday 5 - Sunday 17 August at 7pm

Chunky Jewellery by Jude Williams and Natasha Gilmore with Ben Duke (Lost Dog)
• Lanternhouse Cumbernauld on Friday 2 May at 7pm
• Tramway on Tuesday 29 July at 7pm
• Assembly Rooms, Music Hall from Friday 1 August - Sunday 24 August at 1.30pm, as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Image: Wee Man
Image credit: Viktoria Begg

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