John-William Watson Hang in There, Baby Production Info 20 minutes Set in the depths of a new year’s office party this dark-comedy gets increasingly surreal as the relentless monotony of office life dissolves into a ‘pac-man-esque nightmare’. Touring as part of Shorts | Byrion Three up and coming choreographers fill the stage with drama, dark comedy and design that shines, set to a mix of new music and classic hits. Read More Tickets “The you of today, but also tomorrow; somehow.” Richard Life, CEO and Director of Life & Stuff Incorporated Hang in There, Baby explores our relationship with destiny and decision making. Set in the depths of a new year’s office party this dark-comedy gets increasingly surreal as the relentless monotony of office life dissolves into a ‘pac-man-esque nightmare’. Blending a sci-fi script, brilliant design and an original score by Adam Vincent Clarke, this genuinely funny and surprising dance urges you to hang on in there, no matter what. Creative Team Length: 20 minutes Dancers: 4 First performed for NDCWales: 19 March 2025 Performed by: Alys Davies, Edward Myhill, Faye Tan and Jill Goh Concept, Creation and Writing: John-William Watson Co-Creation: Beth Emmerson, Nya Bardouille, Magdalena Anna Górnikiewicz & Lara Peres Rocha Lighting Design: Ryan Joseph Stafford Set & Costume Design: John-William Watson & Joshua Cartmell Original Composition and Sound Design: Adam Vincent Clarke Instrumentalists: Sarah Bayens (Violin), Miko Pablo (Cello), Markiyan Popil (Piano) Recording Engineer: Noah Senden Mixing & Mastering: Adam Vincent Clarke It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie Songwriter: Billy Mayhew It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie Recording Artists: The JazzMob It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie Mixing & Recording: Nicholas Thayer Creative Consultants: Jasmine Lily Norton, Joshua Cartmell Originally Commissioned by Sadler’s Wells Special thanks to Nóra Fay Choreographer John-William Watson John-William Watson is a freelance, choreographer, director and dancer from Beeston, Leeds UK. After graduating from The Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp BE in 2019, they swiftly carved a path for themselves creating critically acclaimed, surreal, self-described ‘dance-plays’ - often exploring the interplay between science fiction, dark-comedy and contemporary dance. Creating laugh-out-loud” worlds on stage that “look at the absurdity of the world with a smile.” - The Stage Watson has previously received commissions from Sadler’s Wells, Messums West and The Riley Theatre. Touring and creating shows nationally and internationally their work has been described by Article 19 as “just what the wide world of dance needs right now.” In recent years Watson has began performing in their own company works and for UK based dance artist Beth Emmerson. Their transition to performing began with their first solo company work ‘Why This Chair Does Not Exist’ in 2023; which has since toured nationally and internationally. A slap-stick, surreal character portrait exploring an individuals relationship with consciousness and mortality; hued by the worlds of Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati. They have presented work at Sadler’s Wells Main House UK, Sadler’s Wells Lillian Baylis UK, The Riley Theatre UK, Birmingham Hippodrome UK, Pavilion Dance South West UK, Messums West UK, Bartholomew Fair UK, Teatro Vascello IT, Noorderlicht Festival BE & Théâtre Basse Passière FR. Choreographer Photo: Camilla Greenwell Performance photos: Foteini Christofilopoulou Gallery Gallery
Shorts | Byrion Three up and coming choreographers fill the stage with drama, dark comedy and design that shines, set to a mix of new music and classic hits. Read More Tickets