A Song & Dance

Action Hero are definitely not making a scene.

Lost inside a recurring nightmare, a reluctant actor returns to the stage. In an attempt to conquer an 8-year period of intense stage fright - and inside a dream-world inhabited by the phantoms of his disapproving ancestors - he is replaying his own autobiography and starting to lose the plot.

But he's not gonna make a big song and dance about it. Instead, he's determined to keep the show on the road, re-writing his anxiety dreams live on stage in the hope of banishing the ghosts of performances past.

A Song and Dance is an absurdist nightmare of a performance about masking, performing and 'acting the part.'

About Action Hero

Action Hero create artworks that explore what is it to be human now. From stage to page to audio to immersive interaction, Action Hero create structures for people to experience alternative ways of being together. Previous projects have toured to more than 40 countries across 6 continents, to both critical and popular acclaim. They have been shortlisted for the Live Art Prize, a Total Theatre award, and won an Off West End award for Best Performance, and a Critics Table award for Best Touring Show. They were recently longlisted for the 2025 Artangel Open.

Credits

Developed with funding from Arts Council England.

Created by Action Hero

Text: Gemma Paintin and James Stenhouse

Direction: Gemma Paintin

Performer: James Stenhouse

Dramaturgy: Deborah Pearson

Costume: Ray Gammon

@ActionHeroLive

actionhero.org.uk

Age Guidance: 16+ years

Running Time: 75 minutes - no interval - Post Show Talk in the studio

Language of performance: English

Content guidance: Discussion of panic attacks and mental health issues

Access Needs: Please contact us to book if you have any access needs that will require suitable seating or if you need a designated wheelchair space.