Having visited the former Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, Munich, by complete coincidence, the day before, my latest trip to the theatre was particularly poignant. 

Presented by Extraordinary Bodies, Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror is a new musical set in 1933 and tells a story of love and resistance set in a travelling circus touring Germany.

Extraordinary Bodies is a collaboration between Cirque Bijou and Diverse City which combines the talents of D/deaf, disabled and non-disabled artists to create a magical space.

The star of the show is Abbie Purvis, who plays Krista.

Abbie describes herself as “an actor who happens to have dwarfism….just trying to fit into a world I will always stand out in.”

Well, she certainly stands out in this show. 

She has lead vocals in a couple of the stand-out songs in this cleverly written musical. 

Her romance with Gerhard, played by actor and circus performer Lawrence Swaddle, was multi-dimensional, believable and emotional to watch.

As the evil of the Nazi desires to sterilise the circus performers, that they see as inferior humans, starts to develop, the tensions within the troupe are beautifully told.

I was particularly drawn to the performance of Joanne Haines, a neurodiverse artist, performer and facilitator who plays Dora, a character with learning difficulties.

As the story progresses Krista and Dora are targeted by the Nazis and their struggles are central to the conclusion of the story, which I won’t spoil by talking about the ending. 

This is a show that could not be more inclusive, both on and off stage. 

Throughout the performance Max Marchewicz does British sign language, on stage, in full view. 

This doesn’t detract in any way from the other activities on stage, indeed their expressive, sympathetic expressions and demeanour added to the show, in my opinion. Audio description is also accessed via headsets.

This is very much a show for 2023, told in the most inclusive way imaginable. 

I saw it at the Lowry Theatre in Salford, which has a growing reputation for a wonderful range of theatre for everyone. I cried during key parts of the show, such was the brilliance of the acting and story telling. 

It warns against dismissing fellow humans because of their differences and to value everyone in society equally. 

Just as importantly, it is entertaining and performed by extremely talented performers. See it if you can!