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territory between high art and popular culture in this new version playing for two performances only (QEH, 7 - 8 Feb).

In March, international dance returns in the shape of Iceland Dance Company and Abhinava Dance Company. Returning to Southbank Centre for the first time since 2017, Iceland Dance Company ​ presents the UK premiere of Black Marrow – a new work created by Erna Ómarsdóttir and Damien ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Jalet exploring the apocalyptic bond between man and nature. In a united trance dancers confront ​ issues of industrialisation, a lack of individuality and humanity’s tumultuous relationship with the planet (QEH, 21 Mar). Abhinava Dance Company, one of India’s most popular and cutting-edge production ​ ​ companies, bring Krishnaa - Fire To Frost to Southbank Centre. The production is based on the tragic ​ ​ ​ heroine Draupadi from the Hindu epic Mahabharata (QEH, 22 Mar). ​ ​

English National Ballet returns to Southbank Centre following Romeo and Juliet in 2017, this time with ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ its prestigious Emerging Dancer competition. Now in its 11th year, this annual event recognises the ​ ​ excellence of its artists and celebrates the talent of tomorrow as they perform in front of an eminent panel of expert judges with one set to receive the 2020 Emerging Dancer Award (QEH, 29 May).

The world premiere of Between the Stones – an English noh drama by Jannette Cheong with music by ​ ​ ​ Richard Emmert – explores how the burden of grief turns into a celebration of life, friendship and love, through the healing power of gardens. Noh is a highly aesthetic classical Japanese theatre style featuring dance, music and poetry. This collaboration is co-produced with Unanico in association with the Oshima Theatre and Theatre Nohgaku, celebrating the 2020 Japan-UK Season of Culture (PUR, 29 - 31 Jan).

With live accompaniment from Glasgow-based noise band Okishima Island Tourist Association, FK ​ Alexander sings along to the recording of the last time Judy Garland ever sang ‘Over The Rainbow’ in I ​ ​ ​ ​ Could Go on Singing – an intimate interactive live experience of undivided attention and love where ​ audience members can self select to have ‘Over The Rainbow’ sung to them, holding FK’s hand. This is the first time the full production is presented in (PUR, 24 - 26 Feb).

In July, Martin Green, member of award-winning British folk band Lau, brings the London premiere of ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ new experimental interactive work The Portal to Southbank Centre for an exclusive run. Over the course ​ ​ ​ of the night 4,000 years of dance culture is examined with audiences drawn into the lives of a woman who lives to party and a man who, it seems, can only watch. Brought to life by director Wils Wilson, Martin Green and a crew of world-class musicians and performers, audiences find themselves in an ​ ​ immersive, mind-altering experience that asks if trance state is actually part of the culture of these islands and we’ve just forgotten it. From ancient rite to banging club, a beautiful and exhilarating world of music, movement and ritual emerges featuring original music by Martin Green and electronic artist and DJ James Holden with live performance from BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner Brighde Chaimbeul. A ​ ​ ​ ​ Lepus Production commissioned in partnership with Southbank Centre (PUR, 21 - 26 Jul). ​

Still to come in 2019, Southbank Centre welcomes the London Premiere of Black Beauty – a critically ​ ​ acclaimed, vibrant re-telling of Anna Sewell’s timeless novel presented by Red Bridge and Traverse Theatre Company and created by some of the UK’s best theatre makers for children, Andy Manley, Andy Cannon and Shona Reppe. Blending vivid storytelling, joyful music and inventive puppetry, this is the perfect show for families this winter (PUR, 14 Dec - 5 Jan). Christmas also sees Circus 1903 return to ​ ​ (RFH, 19 Dec - 5 Jan) and Fascinating Aïda is back with the world premiere of a ​ ​ ​ brand new show (QEH, 10 Dec - 5 Jan).

2 Tickets for events in the Spring 2020 season will go on sale to Southbank Centre Members on Tuesday 29 October and to the general public on Thursday 31 October at www.southbankcentre.co.uk / 020 3879 ​ ​ 9555.

Tickets for Black Beauty, Circus 1903 and Fascinating Aïda are on sale. ​ ​ ​ ​

# ENDS #

FULL EVENT LISTINGS HERE ​

PRESS IMAGES HERE ​

Tickets available online at www.southbankcentre.co.uk or on the phone on 0203 879 9555. ​ ​ ​

For further press information and images please contact: Alexandra Shaw, Press Officer, [email protected], 020 7921 0676 ​ ​ Louise Gilbert, Press Manager, [email protected], 020 7921 0780 ​ ​

Join the conversation: @southbankcentre

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is the UK’s largest arts centre and one of the UK's top five visitor attractions, occupying a 17 acre site that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the of the Thames. We exist to present great cultural experiences that bring people together and we achieve this by providing the space for artists to create and present their best work and by creating a place where as many people as possible can come together to experience bold, unusual and eye-opening work. We want to take people out of the everyday, every day.

The site has an extraordinary creative and architectural history stretching back to the 1951 . Southbank Centre is made up of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and as well as being home to the National Poetry Library and the Arts Council Collection. It is also home to four Resident Orchestras (London Philharmonic Orchestra, , and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) and four Associate Orchestras (, BBC Concert Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain). Southbank Centre also has performance and dance Associate Companies including Forced Entertainment, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance and ZooNation Youth Company and Artist in Residence Deborah Colker.

Southbank Centre Venues RFH - Royal Festival Hall QEH - Queen Elizabeth Hall PUR - Purcell Room HG - Hayward Gallery

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