A wildly ambitious performance where theatre, dance, music and visual art collide — unlike anything you'll have seen before.
After sell-out performances in Hong Kong and across the UK, Fevered Sleep returns to Brighton for Brighton Festival’s 60th edition, with a show all about time.
Time Keeps The Drummer is performed by twelve children from Brighton and one adult drummer. It’s entirely improvised, meaning each show is a unique, unrepeatable experience - directed live and shaped in real time. Interweaving mesmerising choreography, stunning live lighting and bold new music, it invites you to step off the treadmill of work, school and life, and to slow down, rest and take time out instead.
The performance is 5 hours long, inviting you to experience time in a different way. You don’t need to stay for the full 5 hours and you're welcome to leave and return to the auditorium however you want during this time. There’s no single way to experience the work. Drop in. Stay for hours. Lose track of time. Come back again. Or even listen through headphones to a continuous beat of clock time played by the percussionist on a motion-capture drum kit. Let yourself be guided by whatever feels right for you.
Time Keeps The Drummer is for the curious child. For families seeking out unusual things to do together. For people who love experimental contemporary performance. For anyone who just needs to slow down for a while.
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How Does Ticketing Work?
You can arrive at any time during the 5 hours of the show. When you book a ticket, you’ll be asked to choose a time slot - during this hour you’ll have priority entry. At other times, if the auditorium is already full, you might need to wait for someone else to leave.
‘Truly exquisite work - beautifully crafted, radical, articulate, intelligent.’ Audience member on Time Keeps The Drummer in Nottdance Festival 2025
Hear from the Directors
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Time Keeps The Drummer is a 5 hour durational performance which can be experienced in any way that works for you. Here's some answers to frequently asked questions about the performance
Do audience members have to come at the beginning of the show?
No. It is not necessary to come at the beginning of the 5 hours.
How long can I stay for? Does it have to be for the full 5 hours?
You’re able to attend for as long or as little as you like.
This is a durational piece which lasts for 5 hours but audience members are encouraged to come at any point in the 5 hours. They can leave the theatre when they wish, and return again when they want - providing there is space for them to enter the auditorium.
What will happen if the space is full?
There is a limited capacity in the space at any one time, so there may be some queues and waiting to be expected at times, depending on the flow of the audience. Ushers and staff will be there to help assist you once you arrive.
Can I come back once I’ve been in?
Yes, you can come back in after you’ve been inside. If you’re just leaving to join the workshop in the foyer, you’ll be able to re-enter the performance space.
However, if you leave the venue entirely—for example, to get some lunch or have a wander around—you may need to wait to come back in if the space is full.
Will there be seating?
Yes, there are normal seats in the stalls and there is a carpeted area which has cushions and soft seating. You can sit where you want and move around if you’d like to experience it from a different angle.
Can I take all my belongings with me?
Yes, you can take your belongings in with you however, shoes will need to be taken off before entering the carpeted space.
Can the children in the audience join in with the performance?
No. This is a professional piece and the children on stage have created the show with the artists. It is not participatory. As part of the set design there is an ever changing display of statements about time created by children. Children from the audience have the opportunity to make their own statements about time in a creative workshop which is happening elsewhere in the theatre building. These statements can then be taken back into the theatre and some of them will be added to the set during the show.
Is it a community project?
No. This is a professional performance created by artists. The company producing the project - Fevered Sleep - and the artists who are leading it have made many projects which feature local non-professional performers. The children who are performing in the show were selected through a rigorous audition process. They have worked with the artists in a professional rehearsal environment to co-create and prepare for the performances.
Where did you find the children who are performing the show?
The artists auditioned many children and selected the final cast who you will see performing the show.They all live in Brighton.
Creative Team
Direction, choreography, design, costume, film Sam Butler & David Harradine
Design Bob Price
Music Mariam Rezaei
Lighting Hansjörg Schmidt
Original Movement Director Ashley Jordan
Tour Movement Director Nathan Goodman
Additional Choreography Jimmy Adams, Ashley Jordan, Nathan Goodman
Production Manager Sam Evans
Costume dying Daisy Claisse
Commissioned & Co-Produced by WestK
Co-Commissioned & Presented by The Place and FABRIC
Co-Commissioned by Cambridge Junction (with support from the Stobbs New Ideas Fund)
R&D Supported by Yorkshire Dance and ArtsDepot
With continued support from John Ellerman Foundation
**Stage timings are subject to change
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