Renowned for gravity-defying choreography and groundbreaking projections, Warwickshire-based dance-circus company Motionhouse hit the road again next month with their 2025 production, Hidden. An exploration of how, in an increasingly divided world, light can come out of darkness in times of crisis, the show received rave reviews at Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre earlier this year. Motionhouse’s co-founder & artistic director, Kevin Finnan, and the company’s associate director, Daniel Massarella, explain more...

Dance-circus company Motionhouse’s latest show, Hidden, has been wowing audiences in the UK and Europe - and this autumn it comes to Birmingham Hippodrome for two nights and a Saturday matinee. 

The show, which brings together agility, acrobatics, dance, digital projection and a shape-shifting set, is the Warwickshire-based company’s most ambitious theatre production so far - and, say the team, audiences have been responding brilliantly, both to its jaw-dropping feats and its important message.

Created by Motionhouse co-founder & artistic director Kevin Finnan, together with the company’s associate director, Daniel Massarella, and the dancers, Hidden contemplates our sense of shared humanity. It also explores how, even in the darkest of times, people will come together to support each other. 

“The reaction from audiences has been quite overwhelming,” says Daniel. “We’ve had standing ovations at every venue. When a work is being created, you think it’s going in the right direction, but it’s only when it’s in front of an audience that you really get to see its success.

“What’s great about the work is that it’s not one-dimensional. You can take away from it, however you are feeling on that day, or whatever has come out in the press or has happened in the world at that point.

“Hidden strips people back to their basic humanity, when all we have is each other, and that’s the only way we can get through life’s challenges.”

The show makes bold use of projection, with performers interacting with moving images of land and cityscapes, speeding trains and digital screens.

“It’s the first time we’ve used this amount of projection, and people are blown away by that,” continues Daniel. “People are also blown away by the skill level of the company. It’s one of the ‘danciest’ shows we’ve done, integrated with the highest level of circus. So there’s something for everyone. Some people like the digital, the gaming and the more cinematic experience, while the ‘more emotional’ people really like that emotional draw, and the fact that it makes you feel something.”

Kevin was inspired to create Hidden after watching international catastrophes, including floods, wildfires and war. With every disaster, there emerges a resilience, which is achieved through human connection and kindness.

“Hidden is a show about us,” he explains. “There are things that are very dark moments for people all around the world. And as well as this, within our own lives, everyone encounters moments that are really, truly dark.

“But then Hidden is the thing that comes through in the darkest moments - it’s when people can be at their very best, and work together and be together. So, rather than worrying about ‘us’ and ‘them’, we help each other and support each other. 

“As well as the darkness, we are seeing that element of support which is so often hidden. We need to celebrate that, and celebrate humanity and the very good people we can all be.”

Founded in 1988 and based in Leamington Spa, Motionhouse has built a reputation for breathtaking outdoor spectacle and imaginative indoor productions. These visual and physical effects are the company’s way of telling its stories.

“When I make a show,” Kevin explains, “all of the flying and the film - what that’s there for is to engage and make the show entertaining to a wide range of people. But the reason to make the show is to connect with people as best we can. 

“When someone comes up to me in tears and says ‘That moved me more than I’ve been moved in a long time,’ even if it’s just one person on the tour, that’s the point. The fact that we are getting that in most venues on this tour is the whole point of everything we do.

“You come to the theatre to be together with the artists and share the experience. Then, hopefully, after the show the audience will take something away. For me, the most important thing is saying ‘we are not alone and you can communicate’ - and that’s what we should all be doing.”

Motionhouse has a longstanding connection with Birmingham Hippodrome, and the team are looking forward to sharing Hidden with audiences there.

“It’s a great thing that we’re taking it to Birmingham at this point in the tour,” says Kevin. “We are one of the Hippodrome’s associate companies, and they have supported us in the creation of the show and shown belief in it. 

“It’s absolutely invaluable in these times to have partners like the Hippodrome, who will support you. We now need to do our part and give their audiences a great show.”

And the team promise there will be plenty of thrills both for people familiar with Motionhouse and for those for whom Hidden is their first experience of the company.

“It’s not a dance show, it’s not a circus show, it’s not a film show.,” explains Daniel. “It combines all of those art forms. It’s like having a smoothie with very different flavours which ultimately makes a very nice cocktail.

“When you come in, having seen what we do before, there is definitely a pressure and expectation there, especially for Kevin, because you always have to be better than your last show. But we did it, and the audience response speaks volumes for that.”

The company are hoping that Birmingham audiences who have enjoyed their outdoor shows - including Wondrous Stories, which launched the Birmingham 2022 Festival in the city - will now come and experience Hidden.

“Motionhouse is a completely different experience outdoors and indoors,” Daniel continues. “The same language is used, but the messaging and staging is very different. It touches lots of people who wouldn’t normally go into a theatre setting, and we hope that will bring people indoors. The joy of theatre is something you can’t buy online; you can’t replicate it unless your bum is on the seat. Being in the theatre, watching a show like Hidden together, is something very special.”

Motionhouse presents Hidden at Birmingham Hippodrome on Friday 10 & Saturday 11 October. The company then returns to the region in early 2026, performing at Lichfield Garrick on Wednesday 25 February and at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn on Friday 20 March