Breaking Cycles & Contact Theatre present

b like water

2005 - 2008 Select International Touring only

A co-production with Contact Theatre Manchester, co-directed by Benji Reid and John McGrath, written by Lemn Sissay.

On the cusp of falling – on the verge of flying, Benji Reid jumps from poetry to body popping and back again in a heart-stirring exploration of the role that heroes play in our lives.

“Paint yourself heroes, the queens and kings. Paint yourself wings. Paint yourself wings.” Lemn Sissay, Writer.

Benji Reid:
John McGrath (Artistic Director, Manchester Contact) and myself spent a week in Birmingham playing with flight on the end of a bungee. I wanted a piece that would be able to live and tour with 13 Mics; to move into a more spiritual realm that would examine my respect for black heroes and how we connect with them.

The narrative is a fall; it’s what happens between the leap and the landing. Very simple. But of course, there is the proposition of being suspended from a line. I wanted to play with weightlessness. This has proved to be physically demanding. This is my most painful piece yet!

But there is something simple and beautiful about b like water.

“This is a poet trapped inside the body of a dancer. It's a killer combination.”
Daily Telegraph, Australia

This piece is normally performed in conjunction with 13 mics. Consult the show list for further details.