The Nervous Atmosphere is a solo performance by cellist, composer and theatre-maker Zoë Barry. Drawing on three personal encounters with lightning and the curious events that unfolded in their aftermath, Barry explores the awe, rupture and isolation of confronting forces beyond our control.

At its core, the work is a meditation on connection—to nature, to the ground upon which we stand, to oneself and others. Bosco Shaw’s sculptural lighting design sets Barry amidst the storm itself, atop the clouds as if conducting lightning with the sweep of her bow.

Through storytelling, live cello and striking visual design, The Nervous Atmosphere conjures landscapes both internal and external: the immense power and beauty of a thunderstorm, alongside the disorienting psychological impacts of a close encounter with nature.