Stephen Mottram’s Animata: ‘The Parachute’ and ‘Watch the Ball’

The Parachute is a funny and mesmerising tale about youth, love and confronting old age. With little more than an armful of white tipped wands, master-puppeteer Stephen Mottram conjures characters from nowhere. He plays with the way our brains make sense of things we see and stealthily reels us into a world of movement and illusion, populated by ephemeral, joyous figures.

Watch the Ball sends us scurrying down neural pathways old and new in a short, magical piece about the suspension of disbelief.

Movement artist Stephen Mottram uses puppets ranging from fully strung marionettes and automata, to a handful of ping pong balls. His shows are wordless, with specially composed electroacoustic music.

These two new pieces by Stephen Mottram fuse artistry with neuroscience and demonstrate the magic of puppetry as a story-telling medium. The soundscore is by Stephen’s regular collaborator, Sebastian Castagna.

Stephen Mottram has performed in more than 40 countries.. His previous shows include The Seed Carriers (which stunned a Plough audience many years ago),The Seas of Organillo and In Suspension.

‘One watches Stephan Mottram in a kind of trance. He creates a little magical world with tremendous visual impact – it has a rare and powerful beauty.’ Folha de Sao Paulo

Wednesday 4 October 8pm

Tickets: £10/£8/£7

Plus Workshop ‘The Logic of Movement’ for adults

Wednesday 4 3pm – 5pm £15/£10 £7 for evening ticket holders

Box Office: 01805 624624 or online at www.theploughartscentre.org.uk