Avanti Display have more than two decades of experience of producing and performing our essentially English street theatre. Drawing on our rich national tradition of popular theatre, we combine comedy, surrealism and spectacle to create shows that are imbued with a unique charm.
Utilizing our skills in creative engineering we specialize in developing visual comedy, and dramatic visual effects. We have come to be known for our trademark use of water. Our aim is to employ water in unexpected ways to produce surprising and comic effects – that can also be spectacular and beautiful. We aim to produce work that is engaging and entertaining, while maintaining our artistic vision and our desire to continue trying new ideas.
We have toured all over the world, presenting work at festivals as far afield as Korea, Noumea, Japan and Australia and have taken part in British Council tours to Thailand and China.
Our large scale, site-specific project - Hydromania!, has been notably presented at The National Theatre, Trafalgar Square, The Croatian Nation Theatre and in 2007 formed the centerpiece for the opening of The Singapore Museum.
Please follow the links to see the range of work the company has produced over the years and to see where we are going next.
"we are laughing helplessly, most of us, at the sheer bloody cheek of it, the daft logic, the wit, the invention and the humanity. We are soaked. It is a beautiful moment."
From an essay by Cath Staincliffe from Paul Herrmann's book 'Playing with Fire'.
Avanti Display: Street Theatre pioneers, over 25 years.
Avanti Display was formed by Bill Palmer and Mike Lister in 1984 and has continuously produced new work since that date, including 20 touring shows and a number of commissioned, site-specific productions. Avanti Display has presented work at all the major British and European street theatre Festivals, and has gained an international reputation, touring extensively around the world, including 5 tours of Australia.
1991 Avanti Display first booked to play in Spain and Belgium. Avanti begin to tour outside the U.K.
1995 Avanti devise The Spurting Man, which was directed by Emil Wolk
1996 Avanti Display’s first tour of Australia.
1996 The Spurting Man is featured in the on program at Challon Sur Soane
1997 Avanti go on a tour of Pacific rim, to Korea, Japan, Australia and Numea.
1999 Avanti are now touring so extensively across Mainland Europe they are spending more time on the Autobahns of Europe than the Motorways of England.
2000 Avanti Display commissioned by the National Theatre to create a site-specific show to be performed on the outside of the Theatre building. The show Hydromania! is a development of Avanti Display’s Spurting Man show.
2001 Avanti Display are commissioned by Streets Ahead to further develop Hydromania! to make a show for Manchester Town Hall.
2001-2009 Avanti Display have continued to develop the scale of their work and are commissioned to create shows on an ever increasing scale, at more prestigious events.
2005 Avanti Display are invited to perform Hydromania! for the National Theatre of Croatia, on the Opera House at Rijeka.
2006 Avanti Display are invited to perform Hydromania! in Singapore, to celebrate the reopening of the National Museum.
2008 Avanti Display performed a version of Hydromania! for Liverpool Culture Company, for the Streets Ahead weekend for City of Culture.
“Avanti Display show us that precise physical based performance and solid artistic content win in the end”
Total Theatre Magazine
Avanti Display have developed productions with many Collaborators:
Emil Wolk
Hilary Westlake
Dave Chadwick (Pa Boom)
Bryan Tweddle
Brian Popay (Fine artistes)
Seaming To (Homelife)
Trevor Stuart (Cocoloco)
James Macpherson (Artizani)
Helen Statman (Cocoloco)
Alan Fairbairn (The Primitives)
Ruth Jones (Axial Dance)
Students from Lewisham College, London
Students from Arden College, Manchester
Les Grooms Theatre Company, Paris
Kate Evans (Creature Feature)
The String Quintet ‘Instrumental’,
Through the Roof Productions
R.J.C. Dance
Talia Theatre
Tourbillion
Precarious Dance Theatre
The World Famous
ETC Projections
Magnetic Productions
Nutkhut (Bollywood steps)
Desperate Men (Severn River Project)
Avanti Display have performed atmany events throughout the world, including:
Festivals - UK
Streets Ahead Manchester
Harrogate International Festival
Stockton International Riverside Theatre Festival
Glastonbury Festival
X.trax Festival Manchester
Cardiff International Street Theatre Festival
Coventry Theatre Festival
Watch this Space (National Theatre)
Greenwich and Docklands Festival
Thames Festival
Bexhill (Fete du Jour)
Salibury Festival
Big In Falkirk
Norwich International Festival
Folkston Triennial
Durham Illuminate
Feast Manchester
Festivals International
Tarrega Fira de teatra al carrer, Spain
Aurilac Eclat, France
Melbourne Comedy Fest, Australia
Easter Show, Sydney, Australia
Darling Harbor, Sydney, Australia
Brisbane Festival, Australia
Perth Festival, Australia
Wellington Festival, New Zealand
Challon sur Soane, France
Dortmund Microfestival, Germany
New Haven Festival of Arts Ideas, U.S.A.
Manhaten Buskers Fair, USA
Viva Cita Rouen, France
Furies Challon-sur Marne, France
Ribeauville Mime Festival, France
International Theatre congress, Korea
Shizuoka, Japan
Bangkok Street Theatre festival, Thailand.
Chang Mai Beer Festival, Thailand
Grenoble Festival of European Theatre, France
Bergen International Festival, Norway
Festival of the Equinox, Noumea
Tampere Theatre Festival, Finland
Womadalaid, Australia
Sueca Mime Festival, Spain
Festival-de-Teatro De Braga, Portugal
Waterford Spraoi, Ireland
Venues hosting Hydromania!
Manchester Town Hall, Streets Ahead, X.trax Festival opening event 2001.
Royal National Theatre, London (Watch this Space seasons 2000 & 2001 & Bali-Hi-dromania 2003)
Trafalgar Square, London (Bill Gee Associates)
South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknel, ‘Wildfire’ a celebration
A Fanfare for Bradford
Henley Festival
South Shields Town Hall, Mouth of the Tyne Festival
Rhythms of the City (Leeds)
Croatian National Theatre, Festival of Summer Nights
Singapore Museum Opening Ceremony
Dewsbury – Flames & Fountains
Sunderland Aquatic Centre Launch event
Liverpool Streets Ahead, City of Culture 2008
Peterborough Festival
Waterford Spraoi
