Stuntwoman! reveils the invisible world of the stuntwoman

The car was supposed to hit the boxes, I was supposed to hit the pavement, and the wig was supposed to stay attached to my head. There are four of us who look enough like her from behind. One does horses. One does water. One is very good at being set on fire. I do falling. Tomorrow they’ll cut it together. Her eyes, my back, her smile, my falling. They’ll stitch us together so neatly nobody will ever notice that she is made up of many girls. She will be a hero. And I will have risked my life.

Frascati makers Ika Schwander and Lizzy Deacon delve into the shadow world of the stuntwoman: the body that crashes, falls and flies, yet remains out of sight. Together with identical twin acrobats Clementine and Grace Tonkin Wells (UK), Guinness World Record holders for the longest foot-to-foot trapeze hang, they bring the stuntwoman from the silver screen to the stage. Stuntwoman! premieres at Frascati on Thursday 5 November, followed by a tour of the Netherlands and Belgium.

In Stuntwoman!, live stunt work, acrobatics and circus, cinematic Hollywood imagery, and personal testimonies converge. By separating the stuntwoman’s body from the screen and zooming in on the choreography behind the action, the precision and discipline required to perform a stunt live become visible. Inspired by Mollie Gregory’s extensive 2015 research into the work of stuntwomen throughout history, this performance explores the role of stuntwomen in the film industry.

The leading roles are played by twin sisters Clementine and Grace Tonkin Wells, members of the renowned contemporary circus company NoFit State Circus from Wales. Drawing on their acrobatic expertise, the twins bring the physical limits of stunt work to the stage.

A unique collaboration
Ika Schwander and Lizzy Deacon have known each other since 2017, when they met while studying at Central Saint Martins in London. Since then, they have developed a shared artistic practice in which film and performance challenge one another. Their work received the Barbara Aronofsky Latham Award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in 2022 and the Research Labs Award from EYE Filmmuseum in 2025. With Stuntwoman!, the two artists continue their collaboration in a physically driven, cinematic performance.

Agenda

Stuntwoman!

Ika Schwander & Lizzy Deacon / Frascati Producties in coproductie met Monty en Battersea Arts Centre

Tue 3 Nov - Wed 16 Dec

My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life.

€ 12,00–€ 16,00

Tue 3 Nov

Wed 16 Dec

Dates

Only events in our venues

Tue 3 Nov