Coventry Canal Basin will be transformed into a pirate harbour filled with a range of wonderful characters as part of a new City of Culture event – brought to life by locally based EGO performance company created in collaboration with Cardiff’s internationally renowned No Fit State Circus.
Pirates of the Canal Basin will host a stranded pirate ship, staging live music, theatrics and aerial performances at multiple interactive performances running from Thursday, April 21 until Sunday, April 24.
The fully immersive show, which has been commissioned by Coventry City of Culture Trust and produced by Coventry-based EGO Performance Company in collaboration with NoFit State Circus, is designed to transport audiences into a live-action experience, with characters eager to teach, talk and interact with audiences.
Performers from NoFit State Circus will also join a 60-strong community ensemble to deliver the show to visitors of all ages.
The two-hour event will start at 8pm, with the second half of the performance taking place after the sun sets. Tickets can be purchased on the Coventry City of Culture website from £7.
Georgina Egan and Corinne Emerson are Co-Artistic Directors of EGO. Georgina said: “We’re so excited to bring our pirates to the Canal Basin, the show is jam packed with everything one would expect to find on a pirate harbour and with many more surprises that will be revealed.”
Corinne said: “Pirates of the Canal Basin is accessible for everyone, there’s music and magic, acrobats and aerialists and a swashbuckling pirate adventure story that all the family will enjoy.”
Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director at Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “Pirates of the Canal Basin will be a magnificent performance spectacle based on and around the historic Coventry Canal.
“The project began with the name of the show and we’ve supported EGO to partner with NoFit State Circus to turn their vision into a playful show, that will bring joy and laughter to family audiences of all ages this weekend.”
Tom Rack, Artistic Director of NoFit State, said, "It's been a joy to support EGO in delivering their vision and to finally see this project come to fruition. For sure, it's going to be a fantastic spectacle and a whole lot of very important fun.”
As part of the show, young visitors will get the chance to earn their sea legs in a ‘Pirating for Beginners’ class, with Big Mouth Hap at The Pearls of Wisdom School for Proper Pirates. Tompot Blenny will attempt to read audience members’ futures, guided by his mystical visions.
The Contraband will bring merriment with their music, pirate ‘Merry Makers’ will charm audiences with daring acrobatics and close-up magic, with pirates telling swashbuckling tales of the seven seas in The Sunken Chest, an old pirate saloon.
Visitors can even learn some pirate health and beauty tricks at the Apothecary, from tips on how to grow the thickest pirate beard, revive a drunken parrot, or de-rust a hook.
Every pirate ship has a plank to punish seagoers for their crimes, and Pirates of the Canal Basin is no exception. Audiences can expect an unfair trial at The Pirate Court of No Appeal with Judge Blind Goby.
The event has been supported by Coventry City of Culture Trust and produced by EGO Performance Company in collaboration with NoFit State Circus, with funding from Arts Council England and the Canal & River Trust.
For more information and to book tickets, visit https://coventry2021.co.uk/what-s-on/pirates-of-the-canal-basin/?msclkid=266fa3abb42d11ecb62528dcd0490bf4