Bending Reality – Neus Gil Cortés

29 & 30 | Jacksons Lane Arts Centre | London

What if everything you see is an illusion?

Blending TED Talk-style insights with contemporary dance, circus, and playful visual and sound illusions, Bending Reality explores how perception and memory shape our understanding of reality.

Directed by Spanish choreographer Neus Gil Cortés, Bending Reality is atmospheric, physically daring, and visually rich, transforming the stage with sculptural costume by Isabel Castro-Jung and video design by Ben Glover, creating a space where reality feels fluid and layered.

Here are some surprising facts we discovered during our research:
• You lose around 50% of a memory’s accuracy each year. After five years, nearly 97% is gone — and your brain invents the rest.
• The Earth spins at 40,000 km per second — yet we feel completely still.
• We see the world upside down — our brains flip it back for us.

Accessibility is at the heart of the show, with creative captions, sound-reactive visuals, and Woojer vests available to experience sound vibrations — making it especially welcoming for deaf audiences.