‘This show is a warning’ the musical telling the forgotten story of disabled people in Nazi Germany

Actor Abbie Purvis is sitting in what looks like the outline of a harp, suspended by a rope from the ceiling, as she’s lifted a couple of metres into the air.

“I’m holding on for dear life,” she jokes, though a fall would certainly result in a nasty injury. Yet she looks completely comfortable, rehearsing a scene with fellow performer Dominic Owen, before twirling around in the harp once she’s lowered down. Next, she’s walking on a tightrope, raised about a foot above the ground. Did I mention she’s singing at the same time?

Rewind 10 months, and Purvis couldn’t do any of this. Although already a confident musical theatre performer with a few pantomimes to her name, she had never performed circus before. Still, after being cast in a leading role in the upcoming