World premiere at Byre Theatre as dancers reunite in new show ahead of tour

Revel is a 60-plus coming-of-age story about ageing, resilience, joie de vivre - and dancing!

Created and performed by Kally Lloyd-Jones and Steinvör Palsson, it makes its debut at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews, on Thursday, September 17 before touring Scotland until mid-October.

Presented by Scotland’s award-winning Company Chordelia, it invites audiences to step into the dressing room of every show Kally and Steinvör have ever been in – past, present and future.

Moving between their real backstage relationship as they get ready and their surreal inner worlds, the two dancers reflect on life in their 60s, with all the losses, gains and adjustments of ageing.

Kally Lloyd-Jones is the founding artistic director of Revel, and is joined by Edinburgh dance artist and choreographer Steinvör Palsson. At the age of 61 and 67 respectively, they are both returning to the stage to perform for the first time since they trod the boards together in Dance Derby, Chordelia’s hit Scottish Opera co-production in 2014.

Kally said: “As I was approaching 60, it felt huge and I was really questioning what my future in dance held, or if there even was one.

“I wanted to make this show to talk about the impact of ageing, which is particularly under-represented in dance, and to show the strength and beauty that experience, knowledge and older bodies hold.

"Then I discovered that I also felt the need to be in it and tell it from a personal perspective. I hadn’t realised that this would lead to an incredible sense of returning to myself and that training, pushing myself and feeling alive with dancing would be so joyous. I have discovered as much about what I can do as I have about what I can’t.”

Added Steinvör: “We are very excited to be touring all over Scotland, to venues of different sizes in different settings.

“Working on this show has brought us great joy, as well as shining a light on our feelings about getting older and what that means for us as performers, and as women. We think this show will resonate with everyone who isn’t as young as they used to be. Expect to laugh and maybe to feel a bit teary.”

Ticket details from byretheatre.com