The Vanishing Act is a cabaret-style theatre show that takes audiences on an exciting journey into the incredible world of insects. Created through a unique collaboration between Cap-a-Pie, Dr. Vivek Nityananda of Newcastle University, and local schoolchildren, the show blends cutting-edge science and creativity to explore the global decline of insects and celebrate their extraordinary capabilities.
As the show heads to Northern Stage on Thursday 6 March, here’s a look at how this collaboration connects research, creativity, and community.
Dr. Vivek Nityananda, a research fellow at Newcastle University, has a passion for making science accessible. His work focuses on how insects solve problems – like how bumblebees choose flowers or how praying mantises pick their prey. But why use theatre to communicate this research?
“I think it’s a couple of things,” Vivek explains. “One is that I’ve been involved in theatre a lot myself, so it was a nice way of bringing together my interests. But also, I’ve been collaborating with Cap-a-Pie for many years now, since I first moved to Newcastle, really.”
For Vivek, theatre offers something that traditional public lectures can’t. “Obviously, I do some scientific public lectures. But in some ways, theatre attracts different crowds. You might have people who come for the theatre, and then they get involved in the science in a very different way. I think that’s what’s useful.”
“Too often, as researchers, we stay in our own community, writing papers for each other,” Vivek explains. “There’s a responsibility to make publicly funded research accessible to everyone.”
At the heart of The Vanishing Act is a real and urgent challenge – the dramatic decline of insect populations across the world.
“It’s a big challenge for scientists to find out why that’s happening and how we can resolve it,” says Vivek. “But also, I guess, for people to see how they can contribute – or even just to raise awareness that this is happening. It’s an important issue for everyone, not just scientists.”
Through a mix of storytelling, acrobatics, and music, The Vanishing Act highlights just how fascinating and vital insects are. “Part of what the show wants to do is to highlight that insects are cool – to create appreciation and love for insects, which doesn’t always come naturally to us,” Vivek adds.
The project began with classroom workshops where children explored insect behaviour, environmental challenges, and creative storytelling. These workshops not only sparked the children’s imaginations but also helped shape the performance.
“The workshops let us take research out of the lab and into the community,” says Vivek. “It was exciting to see the kids acting as praying mantises and bees, imagining how they’d respond to the world around them.”
Cap-a-Pie Artistic Director Brad McCormick emphasises the importance of involving children in the creative process: “Young people have such amazing imaginations, and their ideas bring the show to life. Their creativity adds so much colour, and it’s great to see their ideas reflected back to them on stage.”
And those ideas truly made it into the final performance. “A lot of it comes in the lyrics that we put into the songs, and in the movements as well,” Vivek explains. “We’d talk about the importance of insects, and then you get these slightly offbeat and unusual responses from the kids. That creativity brought so much to the show.”
For the children, seeing their ideas come to life in a professional performance was unforgettable.
One student shared: “It was funny when we saw our actions in the show. Our faces turned red when we realised it was actually in it!”
Another added: “Kids don’t have to worry about responsibilities, so they think of the most wacky ideas.”
With The Vanishing Act coming to Northern Stage, Vivek is eager to see how audiences respond.
“I’m really excited to see who turns up, what that cross-section of people will be like, and how they’ll receive it,” he says. “When we put on the work in progress version at the Star and Shadow, I really liked the questions people asked. It showed that they were thinking about it, that the concerns were there, and that they really appreciated what insects do in the world.”
“I hope audiences gain a deeper appreciation for insects – their complexity and the amazing ways they function in the world. And for researchers, this project is a reminder of the importance of engaging with the public to share the excitement of discovery.”
A panel discussion is planned for after the performance, something Vivek is particularly looking forward to. “Hopefully, we’ll get to hear what people felt when watching the play and have some really interesting discussions.”
Alongside the live performance, the project includes an upcoming animation by artist Kate Sweeney, offering another way to explore these incredible creatures.
“The animation is a bit different from the show,” Vivek explains. “It’s much more focused on our lab and the work we’ve been doing there. The idea behind it was to have something recorded that we could share widely. But now, we’re also planning to film the songs from the play and make those available online, which I really like. It’s great to have that record and continue engaging people beyond the live performance.”
For Vivek, projects like The Vanishing Act offer important lessons for researchers looking to share their work with the public.
“I think some of it is just how rewarding it is to actually go out into the community,” he says. “It’s a big change for us – rather than just focusing on our own conversations, it’s nice to have conversations more broadly. And it’s great knowing that people do engage with the research and know what’s happening.
And what about the long-term impact? “Obviously, you never know. But I hope that having had this experience as children might change how they think about things as adults, how it might influence their choices. Even just how they do things in their own lives. That would be really rewarding.”
If Vivek had to describe The Vanishing Act in just one sentence?
“I think of it as a fun show to learn about something important and discover new, cool, amazing things about insects.”
The Vanishing Act promises to be just that – fun, educational, and unforgettable.
