What happens when you arrive at a crossroads and have to choose which way to go?
Presented by CASA, Dance Umbrella and Brixton House
Afro-Cuban choreographer Miguel Altunaga joins forces with pioneering puppetry company Theatre-Rites for Eshu at the Crossroads, a vibrant family adventure inspired by Yorubic culture, myth and storytelling.
At a mysterious crossroads, a traveller must decide which way to turn. Watching over them is a powerful rooster, while nearby waits Eshu – the playful and unpredictable trickster spirit who delights in mischief, surprises and unexpected possibilities. As the journey unfolds, the traveller encounters challenges, moments of joy and new ways of seeing the world around them.
Blending dance, live performance and puppetry, the show invites audiences into a magical world of choices, encounters and unexpected turns, where every decision has the power to change the path ahead.
Warm, funny and thought-provoking, Eshu at the Crossroads is created for everyone aged 5+ and presented as well as part of Dance Umbrella Festival 2026.
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Earlier in October, Altunaga takes part in Lines of Flight’s Dance & Movement Residency, developing his practice as part of the programme’s exploration of the body, movement and different ways of knowing and relating to the world.
Credit Katherine Mager
Acts of Looking: Dance & Movement
Eshu at the Crossroads forms part of Acts of Looking: Dance & Movement, a day of performances, workshops and encounters at Brixton House exploring the body as a site of knowledge, connection and transformation.
The day is part of Acts of Looking, the final chapter of Lines of Flight, CASA’s year-round multi-arts programme curated by Gabriela Román González at Brixton House, asking what we choose to pay attention to, what remains unseen, and how changing the way we look might change the way we live.
Practical information
Suitable for ages 5+
Date: 25 October
Performances: 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM
Location: Brixton House
Please note: Eshu at the Crossroads will be newly adapted for indoor theatre performances
About the cast, creative and partners
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Theatre-Rites is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and field leader in the creation of beautiful and thought-provoking theatre for children, which often explores complex issues such as migration, the climate crisis and neuroscience.
Celebrated for their use of puppetry under the leadership of puppetry expert Dr Sue Buckmaster, Theatre-Rites are acclaimed nationally and internationally. They create touring productions and immersive, site-responsive productions that stir the imagination and stimulate thought, and have attracted high profile commissioners including Schauspielhaus Bochum, Salzburg Festival, Manchester International Festival, Barbican, Sadler’s Wells and Ruhrtriennale Festival.
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Sue Buckmaster is the Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites, a puppetry expert and the fifth generation of theatre practitioners in her family.
She is known for her unique puppet whispering technique and her work exploring animism.
Sue has created over 30 site-specific and theatre productions for Theatre-Rites including MIF17’s The Welcoming Party.
She has worked with a wide variety of companies as a dramaturg and director including the National Theatre and the Akram Khan Company.
Sue holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex and is the co-author of Theatre-Rites: Animating Puppets, Objects and Sites with Dr Liam Jarvis. She is an Advisor for Sadler’s Wells and Polka Theatre.
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Miguel Altunaga is a Cuban-British choreographer, movement director and dancer whose international career spans leading companies including Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, Rambert, Hofesh Shechter Company, Akram Khan Company and Lost Dog.
As a choreographer and movement director he has created work for organisations including Phoenix Dance Theatre, Royal Ballet and Opera, the Royal Ballet School, Elmhurst Ballet School, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Acosta Danza, Tate Modern, Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Theatre-Rites, Emergence Dance, Hampshire Youth Dance Company and Holland Dance Festival. His work combines contemporary, classical and Afro-Cuban influences.
Miguel’s achievements include the Cuban Best Male Solo Award and nominations at the Critic’s Circle National Dance Awards in the UK for Outstanding Male Performance, Best Dancer, and Best Modern Choreography.
He has also served as a judge for BBC Young Dancer, supporting emerging artistic talent.
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London’s annual international dance festival, 48 years in the making and always moving with the times. Every year, the festival ignites the city with bold work from artists who reflect the diversity of our global city and bring world-class creations to London for the first time. Reaching audiences across the four corners of London, Dance Umbrella festival is committed to making dance accessible to the whole city and beyond.