Is Devizes Ready for The Strong Lady?!

Featured Photo Credit: Sean Longmore

How strong is strong lady Charmaine Childs? Strong enough to be a circus strong-lady of Strong Lady Productions, and that sounds strong enough for me not to dispute the claim. The good folk of Devizes have the opportunity to find out for themselves, this Thursday, 26^th May when Charmaine brings her latest work, Power to St Andrews Church, courtesy of Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts.…..

Australian-British artist Charmaine has internationally toured her solo, highly physical circus shows for over twenty years, describing her show as “a playful mix of muscle, comedy, optimism and elegance that invites audiences to reflect on their own strength.” I can confirm now, mine just so happens to be, smell!

“I am passionate about the development of physical, mental and emotional strength,” her bio, which exhausts me just to read, explains, “and the ways they impact on each other. All my work is dedicated to uplifting and empowering people, creating connection and celebrating diversity. This has led me to a delightfully wide-ranging arts practice that also includes: creative engagement projects (Stories of Strength), event speaking, teaching and workshop facilitating and producing.”

Yet, intriguingly Power sounds more than circus act, through voice-over soundtrack it has narrative, stories recorded by people talking about their experiences of feeling strong and powerful. These stories are the heart of the work. Their stories intersect with the autobiography of a Strong Lady wrestling with uncertainty.

Initially striving to feel powerful, by being invincible and in control, the show finds its way to accepting the mess of uncertainty and finding strength in the places where we wobble. Trading invincibility for resilience, it celebrates the power we have to choose the next step through the mess. Apparently, this leaves the audience “energised and hopeful,” which is just as well, as I have work early next morning!

Power starts at 7pm and runs without an interval until 8:10pm, giving you twenty minutes to arm-wrestle any gorillas which may be passing by St Johns Street, before a post-show conversation at the Lamb Inn commences at 8:30pm. Tickets are just £5, online, or cash only on the door. See you there, if you think you’re hard enough!