LIMITS
Presenter Information
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Best show I’ve seen in a long time.” Audience Member
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“4/5 smashed Barbies.” Kate Gaul, TheatreNow
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Engaging, funny, dangerous.” Audience Member
SYNOPSIS
Subverting the body beautiful.
Choreographed and performed by Bonnie Curtis, LIMITS challenges audiences to confront how disability influences our ideas of beauty in a world obsessed with perfection.
Sabotaged by her internal limitations, the performance is a manifestation of her insecurity and self-hate as it unfolds on stage.
The manifestation takes form as a Grotesque Creature. A creature attempting to navigate the world through the lens of a stereotypical “hot-body”. A Creature trying to live up to the expectations of the world around her, riddled with insecurity and self-hate. Sabotaged by her limitations.
Described as, “outrageous, comedic and thought-provoking” by Sydney Arts Guide, Bonnie draws on her own experiences with invisible disability and functional impairment to create the powerful performance.
“There’s this idea that dancers can’t have a disability because they can’t dance, and to be a woman with a disability is to be some kind of hideous creature. Unfeminine. Unwomanly. That’s the idea behind making the work (Limits). To express the other side that people don’t see at first glance.”
GENRE
Dance theatre, dark comedy.
DURATION
55 minutes (no interval).
SUITABLE FOR
Intimate venues where the performer can make eye contact with each person in the audience.
The performer should have easy access to the front row of the audience.
This includes black box, gallery and installation spaces, community halls, studios and alternative performance venues.
AUDIENCE
Women, young adults, people living with disability, audiences who like dark comedy, social issues, multi-disciplinary works.
For people aged 15+. Contains adult themes.
CREATIVE TEAM
Choreographer & Performer: Bonnie Curtis
Dramaturgy: Nell Ranney
Set & Costume Design: Bonnie Curtis
Lighting Design: Lucia Haddad
Sound Design: Fiona Lloyd-Harding
Mentor: Kay Armstrong
TOURING PARTY
1 Performer, 1 Stage Manager/Technician
Production History
2023 Tapere Nui – Te Auaha, Pōneke (NZ Fringe Festival).
2023 NZ Fringe Festival Digital.
2021 Atelier Güell (Excerpt Showing), Barcelona (On The Cusp – Digital Edition)
2021 Brand X On-Demand.
2021 ESCAC, Gadigal Country (The Flying Nun by Brand X).
2021 ESCAC (Excerpt Showing), Gadigal Country (March Dance).
LIMITS features a high-quality video recording suitable for an on-demand viewing.
Two versions are available:
-LIMITS with Australian English Audio Descriptions by The Substation.
-LIMITS with English Close Captioning by The Substation.
TECH REQUIREMENTS
Bump In/Out
2 hours in, 1 hour out.
This is on the presumption that lighting and audio are pre-rigged.
Sound
Description:
- Original composition and royalty-free music which is played through the performance via a Qlab file
Venue to provide:
- 1x Standard FOH Speaker Setup
- 1x Desk with send to FOH speaker setup
- Minimum of 1 foldback speaker, directed at the stage
- Cabling to connect show computer to sound desk
Touring Company to Provide:
- Show computer operating QLab with a Pro Audio License
Lighting
Description:
- Primary use of side lighting
- Front facelight and specials overhead
The touring stage manager operates the lighting and sound during the performance.
Venue to provide:
- Pre-rigged set up of the following:
| Instruments | Alternatives | ||
| Par 64 MFL | 2 | Any 1kW Fresnel | |
| Chauvet Colourdash Hex Par | 4 | Any RGB Pars | |
| Chauvet Colourdash S-par | 4 | Any RGB Pars | |
| Selecon Acclaim Profile 18-32deg | 9 | Any 600W Profile with a beam angle around 30-35deg | |
| Selecon Acclaim Fresnel | 8 | Any 500W Fresnel | |
| Console | |||
| ETC Family Console
Originally Programmed on EOS Nomad 3.0 |
1 | ||
| Gels | |||
| L113 – Cut Size Acclaim Profile
Alternatively, any deep Pink Gel can be used |
1 | ||
| Booms | |||
| 1700mm | 6 |
Please contact us for detailed information on lighting requirements.
Staging/Masking
Description:
- Set is made up of a large mirrored dresser, mounted on treads. The rest of the stage is bare.
Venue to Provide:
- A stage with the minimum dimensions of 5 meters deep by 9 meters wide
- Standard masking
- Dance flooring – this is preferred but not a requirement
Touring Company to Provide:
- Mirrored dresser elements.
Venue and Stage Requirements
Laundry
Venue to Provide:
- Washing machine and dryer
- Iron and ironing board
- 1 x Costume rails/racks
Dressing Room
1 Dressing room with bathroom access is required.
Other Critical Requirements
- Props room or lockable storage space is required for set-piece (W1230mm x D560mm x H1800mm). Can be an office or dressing room.
- We require access to the venue daily prior to each performance for class and rehearsals.
Performance Schedule
- A maximum of five (5) performances can be scheduled within a five-day period, with 2 shows occurring on only 1 day within that period.
- On any two-show day, a minimum of 60 minutes is required between performances.
- We prefer community engagement activities are to be scheduled on one-show days. We understand this may not be possible and can discuss individual needs with the venue.
Example Performance Schedules
Example Performance Schedule 1
| Day 1 | |
| 9:00 | Limits crew arrive and are inducted to the performance venue |
| 9:15 | Bump in |
| 11:15 | Break |
| 11:30 | Lighting focus and plot |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Dancer’s call for class (separate studio space or space as required) |
| 15:00 | Tech/cue to cue |
| 16:30 | Notes and fix-ups |
| 17:00 | Dinner |
| 18:00 | Hour call |
| 19:00 | Performance (1 hour) |
| 20:00 | Bump out |
| 21:00 | End of day |
Example Performance Schedule 2
| Day 1 | |
| 9:00 | Limits crew arrive and are inducted to the performance venue |
| 9:15 | Bump in |
| 11:15 | Break |
| 11:30 | Lighting focus and plot |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Dancer’s call for class (separate studio space or space as required) |
| 15:00 | Tech/cue to cue |
| 16:30 | Notes and fix-ups |
| 17:00 | Dinner |
| 18:00 | Hour call |
| 19:00 | Performance (1 hour) |
| 20:00 | Bump out |
| 21:00 | End of day |
| Day 2 | |
| 10:00 | Community Engagement Activity (2 hours) |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 15:00 | Dancer’s call for class (separate studio space or space as required) |
| 16:00 | Notes and fix-ups |
| 17:00 | Dinner |
| 18:00 | Hour call |
| 19:00 | Performance (1 hour) |
| 20:00 | Bump Out |
| 21:00 | End of day |
| Day 3 | |
| 14:00 | Dancer’s call for class (separate studio space or space as required) |
| 15:00 | Notes and fix-ups |
| 16:00 | Dinner |
| 17:00 | Hour call |
| 18:00 | Performance (1 hour) |
| 19:00 | End of the performance |
| 20:00 | Optional second performance |
| 21:00 | Bump Out |
| 22:00 | End of day |
Crew Requirements
- Lighting Technician and Operator – 6 hours (9:00 am through to 4:00 pm).
- Venue Technician – the full time of engagements.
- ‘LIMITS’ needs at least 1 crew member/technician on-site for the duration of the stay.
- The touring stage manager operates the lighting and sound during the performance.
Other Activities/Community Engagements
The company of ‘LIMITS’ are available to run community engagement activities as part of the touring show.
These include:
- Workshops and Masterclasses for disadvantaged women and people living with disability
- Behind The Scenes Company Class and Rehearsals
- Community Performance Projects
- Long-term Engagement Activities
We are interested in developing long-term relationships with regional communities. Our aim is to provide thoughtful engagement with groups who face barriers to engaging with the arts.
Our community engagement activities are tailored to suit the needs of your community.
Please contact us to chat about your specific needs.
Marketing
Please contact us for our marketing kit.
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
REVIEWS
“Ideas are expressed with the maturity and grace of a committed artist.”
Kate Gaul, On The Town
“Hard-hitting… deliciously disorientating, and slightly overwhelming.”
Kate Maguire-Rosier, Mr Kate Goes To The Theatre
“Outrageous, comedic and thought-provoking.”
Stella Samaras, Sydney Arts Guide
“Only limits to be found are in the dancer’s imagination.”
Jill Sykes, Sydney Morning Herald
Audience Survey conducted by Brand X
⭐⭐⭐⭐
4.3 out of 5 stars
“Monstrous Fun”
“Fringe Theatre Unlimited with the Flying Nun”
VIDEO
PROMO VIDEO
Audio Described Trailer: https://youtu.be/Wl1hGwbL8m4
Entire Performance
Please contact us for access to the full-length video.
CONTACT
Bonnie Curtis, Artistic Director
Email: bc@bonniecurtisprojects.com
Phone: +61 420 308 221
Website: https://bonniecurtisprojects.com
Social Media:
https://facebook.com/BonnieCurtisProjects
https://instagram.com/BonnieCurtisProjects
https://youtube.com/channel/UCufiS71kYkuGRH9j3-uZXWA
This project is supported by Brand X, NSW Government, Australian Government Regional Arts Fund, Regional Arts Australia, Regional NSW. The Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund is provided through Regional Arts Australia and administered by Regional Arts NSW, Annandale Creative Arts Centre, Arts on Tour with the NSW Government through Create NSW as part of Arts Restart, Critical Path, DirtyFeet, March Dance and BCP Patreon Supporters.