Devon-based contemporary circus theatre company announce first shows

New North Devon-based contemporary circus theatre company Kook Ensemble has announced its first two shows: premiering in Devon and touring, Filibuster, is a solo show created with and performed by gentleman juggler Tom Gaskin and inspired by silent movie physicality.

The show premieres and plays several venues in Devon, and tours to venues including Jackson’s Lane in London. It will be followed in 2025 by Sand, a show about coastal erosion and dementia. Kook Ensemble, which aims to create character-driven circus theatre, was founded to by Michaela O’Connor and Sean Kempton, two international circus and theatre artists whose decades of experience include companies including Cirque du Soleil and venues including the Royal Albert Hall, South Bank Centre, West End and Broadway.

Filibuster is created with and performed by gentleman juggler Tom Gaskin. Inspired by the silent movie comedy giants like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, it brings to life a funny and sometimes downright absurd story of fantasy, hope and love. Bertie needs to escape. Turning his back on the chaos of the world around him, he leaves his home for a derelict cottage in the woods. Here he waits with his wildly playful imagination…hoping love will arrive before the chaos catches up with him.

Sand plays with comedy and tenderness, a playful story of love and loyalty, against the backdrop of erosion, of both our landscape and sometimes our identities. It is the story of Myles, who has dementia, and Dilly, who must watch the love of her life drift away. They revisit their past together, remembering the battles and laughter, rediscovering a joy that keeps them connected for whatever future they have left. The development process took place in part at memory cafes in Barnstaple.

Kook Ensemble is a North Devon-based contemporary circus theatre company that makes character-driven, compelling and playful work. It was founded in 2023 by Michaela O’Connor and Sean Kempton, drawing on decades of international circus experience, including with Cirque du Soleil. Michaela is a physical actor, aerialist and director, whose work has taken her from the Royal Albert Hall and West End to Broadway. Credits include Le Reve Franco Dragone, Barnam Cameron Mackintosh, Opening Ceremony for London Olympics and most recently directing work for Secret Cinema. Michaela is also leading teaching faculty member on the Degree Course at the National Centre for Circus Arts.Sean’s most recent work includes Secret Cinema, Cirque du Soleil, Underbelly South Bank London, Roald Dahl Story Company, London Mime and Vamos theatre. He was an original cast member and comedy creator for Franco Dragones iconic Le Reve in Las Vegas.

Co-director Sean Kempton said, “For many years, both Michaela and I have been creating work for other people. After 25 years of developing our own approach to building shows and how we integrate performance with physical work, we felt fully ready to set up a company. So much of our work has been international, and Kook was an excellent opportunity to start basing ourselves back home in North Devon. We had always started building and scratching our work here, and it felt important to continue this trend.”

Co-director Michaela O'Connor added, "We have created a unique way to develop work that is both visually creative and emotionally rich while serving the heart of the story. We are lucky enough to have worked with creatives with years of experience, which allowed us to build a company that can work in a truly collaborative way. This includes bringing in the community. We have an open-door policy in rehearsals where the public can come in, watch, ask questions and give feedback as much as possible. We want the creative world to be inclusive for all.”

Local performances include: