Figures in Extinction

Scottish premiere

Dance and theatre legends Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney unite to confront the climate crisis through spellbinding movement and sound.

We live in an age of disconnection - from the natural world and one another. Can we name what we’re losing? What does it mean to bear witness to a destruction we both cause and endure?

Returning to the International Festival, Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) and Complicité present Figures in Extinction. This collaboration between visionary choreographer Crystal Pite and groundbreaking theatre-maker Simon McBurney confronts hard truths about humanity's impact on the world and explores art’s meaning in the face of mass destruction. Both artists are celebrated for their International Festival triumphs - Pite’s inventive Assembly Hall and McBurney’s boundary-pushing The Encounter.

Fusing contemporary dance with striking soundscapes and dialogue - from the crack of melting ice caps to the jarring chatter of social media influencers - Figures in Extinction calls for unity in a fractured world, finding a collective spark of hope in the darkness.

Supported by James and Morag Anderson

Simon McBurney Director & Co-Creator Crystal Pite Choreographer & Co-Creator

Co-produced by Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) and Complicité

Co-commissioned by Factory International

Co-produced by schrit_tmacher Festival, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and Montpellier Danse