Hugh Hughes Launches World Trilogy at Barbican

Hugh Hughes – who has racked up several awards at the Edinburgh Fringe for his one-man shows Floating, Story of a Rabbit and 360 – will perform all three together for the first time, presenting them as a trilogy under the title The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes, which will open next month at London’s Barbican Centre before returning to Edinburgh, for dates at the Traverse Theatre.

The trilogy runs at the Barbican Pit from 8 September to 2 October as part of the Barbican bite10 season. As well as the three existing shows, The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes will also include previously unseen material. 360+ will also involve a variety of post-show events including film screenings, previews of Stories from an Invisible Town, Hughes’ new show currently under development, and insights into his creative practice.

Hughes first came to prominence at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006 when he was given a Total Theatre Award for Floating. Since then he has won a Fringe First for Story of a Rabbit in 2007 and the Three Weeks’ Editors Award for 360. Originally from the small town of Llangefini, Wales, Hughes has become famed for his quirky, honest and imaginative theatre.

Floating explains how the Isle of Anglesey floated away from mainland Wales, drifted into the Atlantic and up to the Arctic. In Story of a Rabbit, Hughes finds his neighbour’s rabbit lying dead in his garden and puzzles over what to do. And 360 tells the story of Hughes and his best friend Gareth as they climb Snowdon.

The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes is produced by Hoipolloi and will include stand-alone performances of each of Hughes’ three shows, as well as performances of the works as a trilogy. Following the Barbican, the production visits Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre (5-9 October) and then the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival (12-17 October).

– Helena Rampley & Terri Paddock