Classic literature and circus collide in Tess; a groundbreaking adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

An ensemble of performers weave together Hardy’s words and the extreme physicality of circus to tell this tale of power, loss and endurance.

Against a backdrop of projections, the cast wield wooden planks, climb shifting walls and move through ropes and swathes of linen to evoke the vast landscapes and interior worlds of Hardy’s Wessex.

Female relationships, sexual desire, consent, privilege and poverty; themes which resonate now as much as ever. See Tess as Hardy intended; strong, heroic and powerful.

Ockham’s Razor are a contemporary circus company who combine circus and visual theatre to make work that is arresting and entertaining.

Header image © Kie Cummings

Image description: There are seven performers in the background of this image doing handstands or backbends. They all have long brown hair and are wearing brown, white and beige costumes. There is a black backdrop with a smoke effect on it which gives the image a sense of movement. In the foreground is one performer. She is wearing a cream skirt and a white top and she is twisting with her arms towards the right, her skirt billowing as she turns. Her long dark hair flies out to the side giving the impression that she is spinning quickly. She is looking directly at the camera.

Listen to the audio described introduction

Recorded by Ess Grange