Play Dead - Letní Letná 2025

ABOUT EVENT

Acrobatics between dream and reality

Prepare for an experience that transcends the boundaries of reality! Play Dead, the visually captivating new performance by the Canadian collective People Watching, pulls you into a world where logic and gravity lose their meaning. In this unique show, circus and dance intertwine in an unforgettable tale at the boundary of dreams and memories.

On an ever-changing stage, eight fascinating characters embark on a journey to explore the absurdity of human existence. They create dreamlike images intimately familiar yet strangely alien—and with playful lightness and raw honesty, celebrate the beauty of fleeting moments. Just as people rush to the dance floor for the last song before the party ends, Play Dead captures the magic of the moment just before the inevitable end.

Thanks to a unique combination of acrobatics, dance, and physical theatre, People Watching brings a modern new circus that is both gentle and powerful, dreamy and captivating.

The title Play Dead combines playful lightness (Play) with the mystery of the unknown (Dead), creating a space where beauty and sadness can coexist.

Note: The performance includes partial nudity.

Suitable for children 12+

Napsali o Watching People: 

"The Canadian ensemble People Watching, which we should definitely keep an eye on, has constructed a spectacle so powerful with barbaric gentleness and clockwork precision that it does not allow the viewer to overlook a single detail.“
— La Verdad; When You Feel Like Eating the Whole World San Javier, Spain – August 2024

"Six artists from Montreal's People Watching not only presented the festival's
favourite show but also created one of the most remarkable contemporary circus
performances of recent years."

"The fact remains that this collective transports us to another world. Without circus props and without words, it makes us laugh and moves us. These six artists, who aspire to reshape the circus of the future, have just set the bar very high. Remember their names."
— La Presse; Circus Reinvented Montreal, Canada – July 2024

"They have elevated the art of clowning and theatrical absurdity to a level that, like the circus, defies gravity and embraces risk, as well as the daring intimacy of physical trust and interdependence."
— Nadia Drouin, En Piste

"The best contemporary circus… People Watching has managed to create a brilliant show with their strong and charismatic stage presence."
— Berliner Morgenpost

"Surreal and poetic dance theatre… refined choreography and breathtaking
acrobatics."
— Rheinische Post

About collective:

People Watching is an artistic collective made up of multidisciplinary creators currently based in Montreal. Each member has established themselves in their field and collaborated with companies like The 7 Fingers, Circa, Cirque du Soleil, and Jacob Jonas The Company.

The collective was formed in the spring of 2020, during a time of uncertainty and separation. The desire to explore ways to establish intimate connections with audiences even during periods of isolation led them to combine organic acrobatic research with elements of physical theatre and precise choreography.

By merging the visual allure of contemporary circus with deeper context and emotional depth, People Watching gradually developed an artistic language that is intimate, authentic, and profoundly human. They present their work not only on stage but also through film and photography, which has opened doors to international recognition and collaboration with leading artists and companies.

In addition to their artistic activities, the collective is also actively involved in education—during their tours, they conduct workshops where they share their unique movement and performative techniques, thus promoting cultural exchange and inspiring the next generation of artists.

Cast and creative:

Concept and direction by Brin Schoellkopf, Natasha Patterson, Jarrod Takle, Jérémi Lévesque, Ruben Ingwersen, Sabine Van Rensburg
Peter James, Isabelle Chasse, Gypsy Snider
Design by Emily Tucker
Scene Production: Alastair Davies
Lighting design by Emile Lafortune
Music and Sound Design: Colin Gagne, Francisco Cruz, Olivier Landry-Gagnon, Stefan Bouchard