Blue Elephant Theatre, Camberwell

An intimate story about an Irish family living in England, The Dance Hall touches on themes of immigration, loss, loneliness, family and, most importantly, (in)dependence.

After Annie dies far too young, Jimmy struggles with getting older, particularly with losing his independence. His family ‘tries to visit’ when their lives allow and we delve into Jimmy’s relationships with his daughter and granddaughter, tracking their attempts to support him as best they can. We learn about Jimmy's journey from Ireland, how he met his beloved Annie in the dance hall, and the loneliness of his life without her.

Apal and Climando have to pay for the tricycle they hired but they don´t have the money. How far will they go to survive in a world where all hope of a future is lost?

Three teenagers and an old man try to survive in a hostile, unintelligible and alienating world. They’re just four marginal characters looking for their place in a system which forgot them. What will they do for the chance of a better tomorrow?

The Tricycle was the first play by renowned Spanish playwright Fernando Arrabal. Written in 1952, is a strangely light-hearted tale of poverty and murder. In this perfect example of Absurd Theatre, the writer questions the limits of freedom and the relationship between our acts and their consequences in a rotten society in which children commit sinister acts to survive.

Bright South Theatre, under the direction of Jesús Chavero, presents the London premiere of a new adaptation of The Tricycle. This young Spanish company presents its first project in English, portraying a playful yet disturbing world and posing questions as relevant now as when The Tricycle was first written.