Smashed, presented by Gandini Juggling

You are cordially invited to a tea party that you will never forget…

Smashed takes a witty look at forbidden fruit and the fraying relationship between seven men and two women. Traditional juggling meets contemporary circus alongside 100 apples and a troupe of masterful performers.

A series of nostalgic, cinematic scenes explore conflict, tense relationships, lost love, and afternoon tea. Set against a soundtrack featuring popular songs ranging from Tammy Wynette to Music Hall and Bach.

Inspired by the work of the great choreographer, Pina Bausch, director Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala have borrowed elements of her distinct choreography and combined them with the intricate patterns and cascades of solo and ensemble juggling. This funny, inventive, and characterful work will challenge your perception of juggling.

Formed in 1992 by world-renowned jugglers Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä- Hokkala, Gandini Juggling continues to be at the vanguard of contemporary circus, reinventing and reinvigorating juggling for the 21st Century.

Gandini Juggling celebrates juggling in all its facets, exploring not just what juggling is, but what juggling can be. Currently an ever-evolving ensemble made up of a virtuosic core group of jugglers, they regularly expand to include up to 20 performers for specially commissioned events and performances. Ferociously prolific, they are constantly creating new works, which range from radical art/juggling fusions to accessible theatrical performances, from choreographic studies to commercially commissioned routines.

Since their inception the Gandinis have performed over 6,000 shows in 50 countries. They continue to perform at many of the most prestigious festivals and venues throughout the world. These venues range from Contemporary art museums in France to Opera houses in Germany, from theatres in Lebanon to tents in Argentina. Closer to home the Gandinis can be seen performing at the UK’s major outdoor festivals and theatre houses including London’s Royal Opera House, English National Opera, The Royal National Theatre and Sadler’s Wells.

In creating their work Gandini Juggling collaborated with a wide range of cultural leaders, initially teaming up with the pioneering and influential dance artist and choreographer Gill Clarke. The Gandini’s continue to be influenced by a range of disciplines, which include amongst others, composers, ballet choreographers, fashion designers, computer programmers, sound designers, set makers and mathematicians. They have spent several seasons working with orchestras, choreographing juggling patterns to a wide range of classical compositions and have had music specially composed for them by leading composers Tom Johnson, Nimrod Borenstein and Gabriel Prokofiev.

In addition to performing, Gandini Juggling is very much in demand at leading circus schools. Teaching workshops, creating performances and supporting the next generation of circus artists. Alongside this, Gandini publishes books and delivers virtual classes to support the wider understanding of the beautiful possibilities of juggling, for jugglers and non-jugglers alike. The Gandini’s have an insatiable thirst for juggling pieces and a fiery desire to collaborate, communicate and provoke. They aim to reposition juggling as a versatile, engaging and malleable art form for our times.