Introducing Ellie Dubois – Co-creator & Director of Little Top

There are artists across the world who are reinventing traditional notions of what modern circus can be and the award-winning Ellie Dubois is certainly one of them.

Named as one of the British Council’s ‘Artists to watch 2017’, her most recent work No Show features an all-female cast of circus performers and won a Herald Angel Award. “It’s a show that asks you to look again at your expectations”, wrote Lyndsey Winship in the Guardian. Little Top may do the same.

“I am passionate about circus and I want to push the boundaries of what it can be, where it can exist and what it tells us about the world”, said Ellie. “When I mention circus to people, their eyes light up, but traditionally it’s something an audience experiences from far away as part of a large crowd. When you get to see circus close up as you will in Little Top you get a different experience that I hope is going to be really special for the babies and their adults.

“That’s just one of the reasons I’m so excited about Little Top. It was after having my first child and seeing other shows for babies, like contemporary dance and opera, that it made sense to make a circus show for babies. Kim Donohoe’s practice revolves around making work for babies and as we’ve collaborated before she seemed the perfect person to do this with.

“It’s very important for me as a circus artist that all of Little Top’s cast are professional circus performers and I’m very lucky to be working with a hugely talented creative team.  We are creating a real circus in miniature. The set, the acrobatics, the colour and the magic will simply be distilled down into a much smaller, comfy and welcoming space.”

Book your tickets for Little Top here