Eliot Smith Dance announces the return of "POPPY" for Autumn 2025 Season

Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) makes a highly anticipated return in autumn 2025 with a bold new reimagining of POPPY — Eliot Smith’s powerful reflection on war, conflict, love, and sacrifice.

Originally created in 2018 to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, this newly envisioned version will premiere at Alnwick Playhouse on Remembrance Sunday, 9 November 2025 at 5:30 PM.

Presented during a time when global conflict continues to shape the world, and as the UK commemorates 80 years since Victory in Europe (VE) Day, POPPY resonates more deeply than ever. It offers a poignant tribute to remembrance, resilience, and hope — exploring the enduring human cost of war. This production reaffirms Eliot Smith Dance’s commitment to thought-provoking, socially relevant work that speaks across generations.

As part of the season, ESD also invites adults from South East Northumberland and across the North East to take part in a powerful new community dance project: Sea of Red Dancers — an adaptation of POPPY. The community performance will take place at Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland on Saturday, 1 November 2025 at 12:00 PM, performed either indoors or outdoors, weather permitting.

For more information, visit: www.eliotsmithdance.com/autumn2025-spring2026

Image: POPPY by Eliot Smith. Dancers: Amy Becke and Yamit Salazar. Photographer: Darren Irwin.