GO/NO GO at Theatre Works

Circus meets the space race, in the untold true story of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees.

GO/NO GO fuses circus and theatre to dynamically reimagine the lives of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees – thirteen barrier-breaking women who in 1961 took on the same gruelling tests as the famed Mercury 7 astronauts. They wanted to prove that women too had the right stuff. Once they passed those hurdles – with flying colours – all they had to do was convince NASA they even had a right to be considered. Then the real challenge started.

Back when NASA was still dreaming up what kind of person might best survive the extremes of space, one unexpected idea was floated: circus performers. Acrobats. Aerialists. Daredevils. Who better for zero gravity? But that notion was quickly grounded in favour of test pilots, and the circus world’s chance at the stars disappeared. Until now. GO/NO GO catapults that connection back into orbit. This is high-energy, genre-defying performance for lovers of space, science, spectacle, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of defying gravity and going to the Moon.