A double bill with songwriter and composer Samba Jean-Baptiste, and a performance of choreographer Samara Langham’s most recent piece “Nacre”.

Samba Jean-Baptiste is a songwriter and composer whose music bridges a classical cello background with electronic production.

Samara Langham is a dancer, choreographer and artist based in London. Her quality is mothlike: she is drawn to things behavioural and liminal. Working with improvisation, choreography, symbolism and experimental music, she approaches performance as a process of dissolving.

Her works include angels’ mumble (Brunel Museum, Totally Thames Festival 2025), Erase Your Name (Les Urbaines Festival 2025), SKYE ZONE Burial (Resolution Festival 2025), Okaeri (2025) and Haku (Théâtre Paris-Villette 2024).

Nacre

A live dance work by Samara Langham, newly commissioned by The Place through Choreodrome in 2026.

Four figures move between polar forces. As they endure cycles of effort, they feel the edges, and what may exist beyond them. A dark mass moves quietly. Eyes become stars as mouths, ears, tears, and fingers are bound together.

The word ‘nacre’ describes the iridescent substance of a pearl. When a parasite enters an oyster shell, the oyster produces nacre and engulfs it. This becomes a pearl, nestled inside its own body. The pearl remains forever unknown to its maker. Lying shut on the seafloor, it never sees light.

Mix of seating and standing

Nacre contains haze, strobe and moments of loud noise

Choreography: Samara Langham

Music and Sound Design: Shimz343 and Samara Langham

Lighting Design: Edward Saunders

Costume Design: Zelda Attard

Rehearsal Director: Jesse Baggett-Lahav

Performers: Jesse Baggett-Lahav, Elvi Rose Christiansen Head, Sophia Morton, Lydia Walker

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Presented by Institute of Contemporary Arts.

This is an 18+ event