Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Ideas on great things to see and do nearby
He dazzled audiences during the Paralympic opening ceremony in 2012 and has developed an impressive stage reputation for his remarkable dance routines.
Now David Toole will be performing at the Gulbenkian in Canterbury later this month.
The Enormous Room, by the Stopgap Dance Company was launched at London’s Sadler’s Wells last year and features Toole and newcomer Hannah Sampson as a father and daughter living through their own very different experiences of grief.
Toole plays Dave whose wife Jackie has died – but he still sees here everywhere. She is lying in his bed, sitting at the kitchen table, laughing with their daughter Sam. He withdraws to the living room unable to let his memories go.
Toole, who lost both his legs as a child, has developed an enviable reputation for his performances. Sampson, a young dancer with Down’s syndrome has received more than 10 years of professional training with Stopgap.
They are joined by nondisabled dancers Amy Butler and Meritxell Checa who take the roles of Jackie – one as Dave’s wife, the other Sam’s mother.
Stopgap Dance employs disabled and non-disabled artists who find innovative ways to collaborate.
A spokesman said: “We create our work for the widest possible audience because we want to shift perceptions about difference and inspire everyone to achieve their potential.”
The Enormous Room’s UK tour sees it perform at the Gulbenkian, Canterbury on Wednesday,february 21 at 7.30pm.
Tickets cost between £8.80 and £12.80 and are on sale now via the theatre’s box office.