The Point enters its spring season with a mixture of UK premieres, first visits to the venue, and the return of some audience favourites too.

In keeping with its reputation as a venue that pushes the boundaries of performance, this season sees a dynamic programme across all art forms.

The Eastleigh theatre’s dance programme is particularly exciting with the season kicking off (February 9) with the premiere of Sadhana Dance’s Elixir, a new work from director and choreographer Subathra Subramaniam. The thought-provoking piece combines dance with sculpture, projection and original music to explore man’s relationship to water and examines the elixir of life as a shrinking global resource. Fusing traditional Bharata Natyam steps with contemporary choreography Elixir weaves a story that explores rituals and play, struggles and survival, scarcity and instability.

Keeping with forms of South Indian dance February 23 sees the return of the internationally-renowned Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company. The company, led by acclaimed choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh, will premiere Classic Cut – an intriguing new work that revisits the past and boldly steps into the future. This will be an opportunity for audiences to witness Jeyasingh’s beautiful choreography that fuses elements of ballet with the classical Indian dance form Bharata Natyam. The premiere of Classic Cut will be accompanied by a post-show discussion with Jeyasingh, who will be talking about her award-winning career. The special evening will also feature an exciting performance by members of The Point Youth Dance Company that has been choreographed with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company.

Dance supremo Antonia Grove returns to The Point in the guise of three B-list American movie actresses in her new piece, Small Talk, on March 15. Created for her by acclaimed dance artist Wendy Houstoun, the imaginative and humorous Small Talk sees award-winning Grove capture the edgy, sexy and unpredictable nature of the vying characters through her sinuous and breathtaking dance vocabulary.

Renowned in the dance world for his dynamic and fluid choreography Russell Maliphant makes a welcome return to The Point on March 8, with his latest production, The Rodin Project. Made in collaboration with Sadler’s Wells, The Rodin Project sees the acclaimed choreographer drawing on the shapes and forms of French sculptor Auguste Rodin’s contemporary sculptures in this thrilling new work that features Maliphant’s trademark choreography with an urban dance language of street popping and breaking.

Other dance events in the season include Shane Shambhu Company’s Leaving Only A Trace on February 23, a free event performed as part of Pre:View, a South East Dance initiative that supports early career artists and choreographers by providing them with platforms to test out new work and enabling audiences to spot the dance talent of tomorrow; U.Dance South East 2012 on February 25, a chance to see some of the finest youth companies perform as they battle for a place at the Southbank’s U.Dance 2012 festival; and HeadStart on March 3, The Point’s annual showcase of young male dance performers in the region. 

Under the direction of Sarah Brigham, The Point’s theatre programme has been invigorated, attracting new and exciting companies as well as some of the biggest names in the field of contemporary performance.

The drama season opens on February 28 with Lucky Dip an evening of work-in-progress performances and in-development pieces from emerging artists across the region. Hosted by exciting young performance company Milk Presents, The Point will be transformed into a Cabaret-esque Kit Kat Klub backdrop, with live music, theatrical happenings, inventive improvisation and seductive stagecraft. Each of the performers and artists taking part in Lucky Dip has been hand-selected by Milk Presents chosen for their originality and curious take on the world. This event, part of The Point’s successful From Scratch programme, offers audience members the chance to see and leave feedback on some of the latest and innovative work while in development stage.

New to the venue, Bear Trap Theatre Company brings its multi-award winning Bound to The Point on March 1. This exhilarating piece follows the fortunes of six trawlermen from Devon as they embark on a journey that will change their lives forever. Featuring haunting sea shanties alongside elements of political theatre and expressionistic drama, Bound explores the tragedy of a maritime community’s decline, asking the question what’s worth living and dying for.

A live streaming broadcast of a brain dissection is the backdrop to 2401 Objects, the latest work from award-winning Analogue theatre company that is staged at The Point on March 22.This deeply moving drama is inspired by the true story of Henry Molaison, who in 1953 emerged from experimental brain surgery without any recollection of the last two years of his life or the ability to form new memories. 2401 Objects tells the remarkable story of a man of the world’s most famous amnesiac patient who has proven impossible to forget.

The Point will be transformed into a theatrical installation, with audience members becoming part of the performance when ground-breaking theatre company Platform 4 takes over the venue from April 26 to 28. For three days, the award-winning physical theatre company will immerse themselves in the fabric of the Eastleigh venue, weaving a world of magic and mystery in their site-specific production Memory Point. Wearing headphones, audience members will be guided by a unique soundtrack created by composer Pete Flood through the unseen spaces of The Point. Every space will become the backdrop for a performance, a mini installation featuring film, shadow, light and costume. The audience becomes part of the unique production, lost behind the scenes as they question what is real and what is not.

For music lovers, The Unthanks – Mercury Music Prize nominated sisters Rachel and Becky Unthanks – will be at the Eastleigh venue as part of a select Intimate Evening With… series of performances on April 18. The intimate evening will give audiences the opportunity to get up close to one of the most original and inventive bands on the folk circuit today. They will be supported by Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell who will be performing songs from their debut album, Kite.

Comedy for spring comes in the form of comedic conjuror Pete Firman who brings his hilarious new show, Jiggery Pokery, to The Point on March 17. The madcap master of illusion, who shot to fame on Channel 4’s Dirty Tricks and Derren Brown’s 3D Magic Spectacular, promises to deliver an evening of logic-defying feats, peppered with a litany of fast-paced gags and one liners.

The emphasis is firmly on fun for children this season. Red Riding Hood on March 10 is an enchanting retelling by Olivier Award winner Mike Kenny of the classic fairytale. This production by Engine House follows the story of Red Riding Hood who, along with her little 

brother, embarks on a fantastical adventure that starts out in Grandma’s attic. This retelling, perfect for children aged four and above and their families, features original music and songs by composer Julian Butler, best known for creating the soundtrack to popular children’s show Charlie And Lola.

A boy seeking an adventure finds a plane in his cupboard and flies it higher and higher until it runs out of fuel – and lands on the moon! This is the backdrop to The Way Back Home, a stage adaptation of award-winning author Oliver Jeffers’ children’s book that comes to The Point on April 12. Featuring original music and oodles of audience participation, The Way Back Home follows the little boy’s inter-galactic adventure as he tries to find his way back home to earth, encountering a strange little alien on the way.

The Point’s regular Saturday Playtime and Saturday Storytime sessions find a new slot this season. The exciting story-telling and dance sessions that encourage children to explore their imagination will take place on the first Saturday of every month, starting on January 7.

Up, up and away! Families can experience the thrills and spills of learning to fly with extraordinary aerial theatre company Scarabeus when it hosts two special workshops on April 2. The thrilling aerial theatre company is offering families with children aged eight to 11 years a taster workshop in flying. Using harnesses and cocoons, the Scarabeus team will share their creative and physical skills to show families the exciting world of aerial acrobatics and dance. The two-hour long taster sessions offer a rare and unique opportunity to not only work with one of the most exciting theatre companies in the UK but also to sample the electrifying and exciting experience of flying.

For more details of The Point’s new spring season, call the box office on 023 8065 2333 or visit www.thepointeastleigh.co.uk