Ockham's Razor present
Tess
Tess is a ground-breaking adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
An ensemble of performers weave together Hardy’s words and the extreme physicality of circus to tell this tale of power, loss and endurance.
Against a backdrop of projections the cast wield wooden planks, climb shifting walls and move through ropes and swathes of linen to evoke the vast landscapes and interior worlds of Hardy’s Wessex.
It is a story which still has extraordinary relevance for our times in its incredibly nuanced evocation of female relationships, sexual desire, consent, privilege and poverty.
This retelling captures the beauty, heartbreak and yearning of the novel and draws upon the incredible strength of the circus body to create a Tess as heroic as Hardy intended.
“There’s something magical about Ockham’s Razor”
Evening Standard
“Physically thrilling”
The Sunday Times
“Beautifully human”
The Times
Commissioned by London International Mime Festival and The Lowry, Salford.
Funded by Arts Council England, The Foyle Foundation, PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund for Organisations, Garrick Charitable Trust and Royal Victoria Hall Foundation.
Supported by artsdepot, Shoreditch Town Hall, National Centre for Circus Arts, Bristol Circus City and MimeLondon.
Find out more from the creative directors at Ockham’s Razor about why they chose Tess by visiting our Greenroom page.
Ockham’s Razor
Ockham’s Razor is an award-winning circus theatre company at the forefront of the movement re-defining circus. They consistently produce ground-breaking, artistically excellent work. Since their foundation in 2004, Ockham’s Razor have created, to critical and public acclaim, a distinct style of performance which draws upon the relationships, emotions, and images of circus to create innovative theatre with coherent narratives and moving stories. Since 2008 Ockham’s Razor have been supported by Turtle Key Arts in production, financial management, marketing and administration.
Turtle Key Arts
Turtle Key Arts is a performance arts production company, a registered charity which produces, manages and devises performance arts projects with a particular emphasis on original and ground-breaking work. Ockham’s Razor and Turtle Key Arts have mounted numerous hugely successful national and international tours and have a strong track record in delivering new productions to sell out audiences.
Macadie Amoroso – Performer
Joshua Frazer – Performer
Lauren Jamieson – Performer
Lila Naruse – Performer
Victoria Skillen – Performer
Leah Wallings – Performer
Nat Whittingham – Performer
Alex Harvey – Co-Director & Co-Adaptor (Ockham’s Razor)
Charlotte Mooney – Co-Director & Co-Adaptor (Ockham’s Razor)
Alison King – Producing (Turtle Key Arts)
Nathan Johnston – Choreography
Holly Khan – Composition, Sound Design & Production
Ockham’s Razor in association with Tina Bicât – Design & Equipment Concept
Tina Bicât – Set & Costume Design
Aideen Malone – Lighting Design
Daniel Denton – Projection Design
Anne-Marie Casey – Script Advisor
Northcott Theatre
