Physical theater is hard to come by in Beijing, as exposure to this Western-style of live dramatic storytelling has a minimal presence. But discovering new realms in stage performance, although difficult at times, isn't impossible. One way to discover new horizons in theater is attending performances by theater companies such as Idle Motion from the UK.

The Oxford-based troupe wowed audiences at last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, one of the most respected and popular theater festivals in the world. Now, the troupe is on its maiden China tour due to the efforts of Milky Way Productions, who worked in cooperation with the British Council in Beijing to bring physical theater to the Middle Kingdom.

Liu Tingting, touring manager for Milky Way, believes less is more when it comes to venue size for physical theater, which thrives on audience intimacy.

"We chose the Oriental Pioneer Theater for this performance because Idle Motion performed Vanishing Horizons at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a small theater. A small black box-style setting is the best place for them to perform because there's no stage," Liu told Metro Beijing. "The theater has about 300 seats, so the audience will be very close to actors during their performance and feel a greater connection to the story."

Idle Motion's latest offering incorporates stage devices made from old suitcases, puppets, maps and paper airplanes to tell the stories of the female pioneers who contributed to the world of aviation. The performance explores historical flights embarked upon by women - a timely coincidence in China, which in June sent its first woman, Liu Yang, into space.

Grace Chapman, a performer with Idle Motion and also the theater company's manager, told Metro Beijing that Vanishing Horizons was inspired by a book written by Beryl Markham, one of the world's first female aviators. 

The theater company researched other early female pilots and then developed a narrative about a young woman in search of the ashes of her estranged grandmother.

"Then came the idea to have the entire stage covered with suitcases and to use these props to tell the story, which really knit the entire show together," Chapman explained, saying the performance's theme is about "travel and the freedom it can give you." "It's also about acknowledging those men and women who risked everything to make the world what it is today," she added.

Idle Motion develops their shows collaboratively, refusing to rely on a lone writer, director or set designer. This allows performers to take greater pride in their productions due to working as a team. "I think you can see when we perform the show how we all feel a strong ownership of every aspect of it and we really enjoy sharing this with an audience," Chapman said.

Physical theater is unlike traditional theater that audiences in China are more accustomed to, Chapman added. "Physical theater is a very broad spectrum. It can include clowning, dance, acrobatics and then the more visual, story-led theater that we create," she explained.

"I suppose the common thread is that physical theater does not rely solely on the script or spoken word to tell the story, but instead explores other ways such as the use of the body and movement. In our case, we use these examples as well as an inventive use of props to create a distinct style, which really draws the audience into the show and the story."

Asked how the UK theater company will be received in China, Chapman said: "I think the main story of the show is quite touching and very relatable to a lot of people, no matter where you are from. The style of the show is something a bit different, so there are lots of aspects people can enjoy."

Where: Oriental Pioneer Theater, 8-2 Dongdan Santiao (northwest corner or Oriental Plaza), Dongcheng district

When: 7:30 pm, September 4-9

Tickets: 60-280 yuan

Contact: 6551-6906