On Tour: Motionhouse Dance Comapny

Touring is indispensable to us and is the reason we exist. We've always toured extensively in the belief that the show only begins to live once you've performed it over a long period. The scale of our productions has grown in the last six years. We have progressed from a set in a suitcase to one in a Luton van. Now we've got a seven-ton truck for our two-level steel 'house' which will be manhandled into venues by our long-suffering stage crew. The one- night stands are going to be horrendous, but being based in the Midlands means we can get home from most places in a couple of hours.

We've been abroad a good deal. Our least exotic gig was in Bangkok six years ago when we had a tiny stage in the French Institute. It was the rainy season and as the show started so did the storm. The noise was deafening and completely drowned out the music.

The dancers tend to get quite lean when they're on tour, which could have something to do with never being able to get to a restaurant when it's open. I particularly enjoy playing Liverpool, because there's usually a round of late-night curry houses.

Our main saga this tour has been getting feathers for the wings of the two housebound angels in Flying. The designer had to go to a farm in the middle of nowhere where she was presented with a bloody mass of turkey feathers to be cleaned. They now look beautiful but we have to make sure that with all the high energy dance the wings don't suffer too much wear and tear. We've got a hot glue gun standing by just in case.

Kevin Finnan is co-choreographer of Motionhouse Dance Company with Louise Richards. The double bill 'Flying' and 'Punch' is at Southport Arts Centre 9 Feb and then around the country to 10 May