Sword swallowing – inside and out
Exploring the public/private body and hidden labour intrinsic in embodying an apparently life-threatening act – Sword Swallowing.
Cassani explores how swords being swallowed can be: a private act, an exposé, a lecture, a futile gesture, a demonstration, an obsession, and as a celebration of being alive together. This show deconstructs a skill that is often presented as momentary, fleeting or virtuosic and represents it as an act of corporeal contemplation, exposing hidden internal and external processes.
The audiences is invited to experience this rare act as intricate sequences of movements, learning, and understanding whilst being offered an intimate reflection on dedication, repetition, and transformation. This new work draws on the traditional lineage of sword swallowing and situates it within a contemporary space where magic and illusion meet physical reality.
At its core, Inside aims to be a meditation on the body’s potential, an exploration of private and public risk, and a reimagining of what it means to embody magic and danger in contemporary performance.
Premiere: September 2026

 

Credits

Directed and Performed by Tom Cassani

Outside eye: Ocean Stefan, Florentina Holzinger, Thom Shaw, Tallulah Haddon, Flick Ferdinando

Magic Consulting: Tay Lane, Maxime Weinman

With support of: The Place, London; Sands Ends Arts Centre, London; Screaming Alley, Ramsgate; Théâtre Silvia Monfort, Paris; Lowry, Salford

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