James Thierrée’s latest piece The Toad Knew  shows at King’s Theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival 2016.

A theatrical magician, born into a world of circus, James creates large-scale shows that cross art-forms. His new piece, The Toad Knew  celebrates the family, following the adventures of five characters bound by love and blood. Thierrée performs alongside dancers, contortionists and high-wire artists. Intertwining dreams and childish terrors, burlesque and realism, The Toad Knew  explores the raw, unforgiving love between brothers and sisters. ‘Expect it to be flamboyant, hallucinatory and ravishingly beautiful.’ The Guardian (The Best Theatre of Summer 2016).

Crying Out Loud has long been associated with James and Compagnie du Hanneton helping to build his reputation on the international circuit. We introduced him to the UK in 2000 when we presented The Junebug Symphony  at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and have subsequently presented each of his shows in the UK. He was last seen here in 2013 at Sadler’s Wells in Tabac Rouge,  a hallucinatory vision of a teetering totalitarian monarch.