A young theatre company currently on tour in the UK and with a date in Canada booked for May, are asking their biggest supporter, Greenwich Theatre, to take a well-earned bow.

“Greenwich Theatre have been amazing and we simply wouldn’t be doing all this without their help,” said Glass-Eye Theatre artistic director Cath Johnson.

“They provide us with rehearsal space and James Haddrell has mentored me in things like funding, marketing and tour booking.”

Cath is performing herself in The City and Iris, a stunning piece of physical theatre with just a red rope as a prop, telling the story of a woman who takes on the myopia of her mind to transform her life.

The show, a big success at Greenwich Theatre a year ago, will return on Sunday, March 30, and go on to feature in the Ottawa International Children’s Festival in May.

“We’re really looking forward to returning to Greenwich after a great response last time. They’ve got a brilliant local audience.”

The six people in the show all have different nationalities. “We all studied at LISPA (the London International School of Performing Arts) and there’s something special about working with people who come very different traditions and experience, and communicating with the body as much as with language.

“We are all very close and there’s less of the star system in an ensemble-based piece. With the help we get from Greenwich Theatre and the Arts Council we are able to concentrate on the creative work. It’s not really fame we are after but recognition of the quality of the work.

“This is our first tour but we are in the very good hands of our stage manager, Emma Eldridge-Doyle, and we’re very excited about showing the work outside of London.”

James Haddrell, Greenwich Theatre’s artistic and executive director, said: “We came across Glass-Eye’s work about 18 months ago and loved it. The City and Iris was very successful at the theatre a year ago and we made a decision to support them in applying to the Arts Council for touring funding, which they got.

“It’s a great example of a young company with a really strong artistic vision and an exciting new way of telling a story without a set or props. Our role is to identify young companies like this who are full of talent but don’t have the experience of the industry to develop their work.”

*The City and Iris, Greenwich Theatre. Book by calling the box office on 020 8858 7755 (1pm-6pm, Monday to Saturday) or visit www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk.

Find out more at www.glass-eyetheatre.com.