THEATRE DIRECTING
Joanna has been directing and producing theatre and circus shows for her company The Feathers of Daedalus Circus for five years. She primarily produces and directs all Feathers productions but has occasionally entered into coproductions. Founded after her ★★★★★ Cambridge University children's show Alice in 2016, Feathers has worked to combine circus with poetry, visual arts, film, animation and many more mediums. She has gained excellent reviews for her 5 full length shows and has also been commissioned for corporate and commercial performances. Three of her shows successfully played at the Edinburgh fringe with Assembly Festival and Gilded Balloon. She has also presented work at Jacksons lane London, the Vaults London, Underbelly festival Southbank London, Rosemary Dream Brazil, Teatro Pedro Ivo Brazil, The Corn Exchange Cambridge and Kings College Chapel Cambridge. She has worked with many established practitioners most notably celebrated British poet Roger McGough and West End producer Julius Green. She has received 5 Arts Council England grants for her work as well as support from Mimbre, Jacksons Lane and the National Centre for Circus Arts. For all show trailers see www.featherscircus.uk
Narcissus 2023
Joanna was the co-creator of award winning Narcissus alongside Ruby Wednesday. Winner of the VAULT festival After Dark award, this new sell out show brings together live music, daring contemporary circus, mesmeric performance art and poetry, from the creators of hit ★★★★★ 2020 show Tarot. The show went on to headline Re-enchant: Poetic Experiments for a new world at The Cockpit theatre.
Who stares back at you from behind the silver?
Do you truly know them? Could you truly love them?
Narcissus will transport you beyond the mirror, into a shadowed world.
Don’t look backwards, look inwards.
Bring something to burn.
TWELVE WAYS THE WORLD WILL END 2023
Joanna directed Twelve Ways the World Will End, a short script by A C Smith as part of the Circulate pilot scheme at Jacksons Lane theatre performed by Sophie Ablett and Jackie Le.
KINGDOM 2022
The feathers launched, KingDom a drag king circus project supported by the Arts Council England with a live show at the Glory in January 2022. The show was a celebration of the completion of their heist film (see film directing) which was screened, and then a cabaret style night featuring live performances from the drag kings and host Lilly SnatchDragon.
SPACE 2021
During the winter lockdown, Feathers were commissioned to create a space themed theatrical performance piece for an online interactive event for Sparkle. They worked with London based circus performers and film maker Gabriel Stella to realise the vision at the beautiful Asylum chapel.
TAROT 2019 - 2020
The Vaults UK, Bijou tent Assembly Festival, Underbelly, and we are bringing Tarot to VAULT Festival 2020.
The freedom of fortune or the dark depths of downfall, in the turn of a card.
From the glimmer in a crystal ball or the swirl of the tealeaves, the Feath- ers conjure up a magical night of circus, music, improvisation, imagina- tion and divination. A live audience tarot card reading will guide our per- formers in this unpredictable tale, where all is possible, and everything isunexpected. When the first card is turned our journey begins. Will the fool become the empress or the king lose his crown? Will the lovers be trapped in the caverns of the moon or the stars shine down on the hapless hanged man. You can shuffle the deck, you can lay down the cards, but the fates will dictate who will fly and who will fall.
Within Her Words ★★★★★ ‘Prepare to be completely captivated and awestruck with every element of the show.’
London Theatre Review ★★★★ ‘it is like a pot of magic that has all of the right ingredients; music, location that is perfectly matched to the subject matter; skilled performers and a little bit of mysticism added to spice it up.’
Culture Fly ★★★★ ‘Director Joanna Vymeris takes the haunting and private world of tarot, putting its theatricality centre stage in thrilling fashion.’
Everything Theatre ★★★★ ‘Both genre and gender are boundless in this show. In this one place you encounter circus, comedy, a concert and onstage Tarot reading.’
730 Review ★★★★ ‘It’s dark and tempting; like the desire to discover your future in a pack of cards’
Spy in the Stalls ★★★★ ‘irresistibly watchable, Tarot is original, free-spirited and entertaining’
Wee Review ★★★★ ‘a magnificent, magical circus display with an incredible soundtrack and a lo
Wee Review ★★★★‘a magnificent, magical circus display with an incredible soundtrack and a look to die for’
EdFringe Review★★★★ ‘Tarot is a spell-binding hour of incredible human feats that leaves you awestruck and changed. We’re not sure whether it’s theatre, or acrobatics, or dance, or comedy, or clairvoyance. The Feathers of Daedalus perform a jaw-dropping blend of all of these that combines to be truly mind- bending: this must be circus.’
Broadway Baby ★★★★‘Tarot cards occupy an interesting place in our culture, from esoteric symbols of divination to prisms through which psychoanalysts can explore subconscious archetypes. This show infuses this powerful cultural imagery with music, energy and impressive, highly-charged physical performance’.
The Mumble ★★★★ ‘Poetic, but non verbose, humorous, but atmospheric at all times, ethereal or intense, Tarot is a soulful and playful journey that adjusts the past at the present and vice versa without feeling pretentious or forced.’
BRINK - 2020
Joanna directed the Feathers climate change inspired opening act to the Extinction Rebellion takeover of Vault Festival in 2020. The performance featured dynamic group acrobatics accompanied by poetry commissioned by The Nasty Poet and music from Now Ex.
SKY IN THE PIE WITH ROGER MCGOUGH - 2020
OSO Arts Centre, February 2020, VAULT Festival 2020, continuing 2022
The poetry of Roger McGough explodes from the page to the stage in this fantastical circus and puppetry adventure where pigs fly and the sky is in the pie. Join a day-dreaming boy for one amazing day where he discovers the extra-ordinary in the ordinary wherever he goes.
The Feathers of Daedalus Circus have teamed up with celebrated author and poet Roger McGough for this new wonderfully wacky children’s production inspiring young and old to fall in love with poetry. With circus, physical theatre, puppetry and projection, the Feathers explore fun and fantastical ways to play with poetry, dipping into works from Roger’s 50 year career topped up with new poems especially created for the show.
Everything Theatre ★★★★ ‘an hour of pure beauty, both for the ears and the eyes. Whilst it may predominately be aimed at children, the adults in the audience are just as enchanted by the spectacle of it all. This is a show that surely should be reclaimed for us adults so we can all be young again for an hour during a cold wet afternoon.’
Reviews Hub ★★★★ ‘This tremendously entertaining show aims to inspire young and old to fall in love with poetry and the Feathers of Daedalus Circus company magnificently ensures that the colours of the brash and breezy presentation “quite tickle the pallet with a blend of delicate hues” – and may even, in the words of the title poem, help audiences “acquire a taste for the Cosmos” that the Arts have to offer.’
Upper Circle ★★★★ ‘While clearly designed for children aged 4-12, there is really something for all members of the family to enjoy in this show from infant to elderly.’
MYTHOLOGUE - 2018
CAN Circus festival, Teatro Pedro Ivo, Brazil
The tales of four Greek mythological icons are revived through circus, sopken word and live music.
Prepare to be transported to a world of trickery, distrust and dishonesty.
While Pandora is tormented by temptation Orpheus delves deep into the underworld to retrieve his stolen love.
The Minotaur waits alone and enraged
at the heart of the devil’s labyrinth And Icarus falls softly
From the sun
to the sea.
Mythologue 2018 poster by Charlotte Randal, photo by Nick Hampson
Mythologue, 2018, Teatro Pedro Ivo, CAN Circus Festival, Brazil, By Nick Hampson
‘Mythologue opens the door to four classic tales of romance, tragedy and loss. From Pandora’s box to Icarus, Feathers of Daedalus have created a fast-paced, captivating show which blends high level acrobat- ics with playful dance and charming characterisation. The show strikes a satisfying balance between the artistic and the physical, as the impressive aerial displays are tempered by moments of poignant emotion’- Amy Shipway, General Manager of Aerial Edge
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM - 2018
Fairies guided the audience round the beautiful forests of Rose- mary, where hidden performers waited to captivate their imag- ination and transport them to a surreal world of drama and dreams. This famous story of love, confusion and mischievous enchantment is brought to you by performers from 7 countries, united by the Feathers of Daedalus and Circocan School of Cir- cus.
Rosemary Dream, Florianopolis, Brazil
“When Feathers of Daedalus approached us with their idea to create an immersive circus version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the jungle, we had no idea what to expect. What was created in the end was the most beautiful, magical experience, one of the most talked-about events that we’ve had here at Rosemary. The team were a pleasure to work with, so much attention to detail from the costumes and decor to the perfectly curated music. Feathers of Daedalus really know how to coordinate complex choreography and create memorable experiences” General Manager, Rosemary Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream poster 2018 by Charlotte Randal
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Rosemary Dream, 2018, by Julia Gundlach
COPPELIA - 2017
Love: paternal, possessive, unrequited, unknown. Coppélia ex- plores what happens when desire dominates reason, when jealousy leads sanity astray, and when, as so often in love, all is not quite as it seems. The infamous ballet will be stripped bare, swallowed and spat out through the compelling voice of contemporary circus, transforming this Hans Bellmer-esque tale of a mechanical doll into a Freudian nightmare. The powerful story of infatuation, mechani- sation and domination, will be realised in an experimental, multi- disciplinary fashion. Circus, film and spoken word sit side by side, a unique examination of love and the uncanny.
Coppelia 2017 poster by Charlotte Randal
Jacksons Lane, Palais Du Variete Assembly Festival, Edinburgh Fringe
Wee Review “Entertaining and…intelligent” ★★★★
EdFringe Reveiew “A spectacle of jaw dropping beauty infused with modern relevance” ★★★★
British Theatre Guide “Truly breathtaking” ★★★★
ALICE - 2016
Audiences met a break-dancing caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat on a trapeze, and the Mad Hatter’s tea party transformed by juggling and magic. After witnessing such a variety of im- pressive performances, they could believe that six impossible things certainly can happen before breakfast.
Alice 2016 poster by Charlotte Randal
ADC Theatre, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh Fringe
CTR “A Visual Feast” ★★★★★
The Tab “Rapturous applause...Never has it been so well deserved” ★★★★★
Varsity.co.uk “Spellbinding” ★★★★★
