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| Flyer (no programme) |
A maelstrom of modern dance, mime, athleticism, human puppetry and rhythmical action exploring the emotional journey of a young man having to leave behind his former carefree life as he is drawn into the responsibilities of fatherhood.
This was a physical performance piece where the story is told primarily through the action. The occasional dialogue was used primarily as counterpoint and was often (deliberately) mumbled. It all begins with the central character marching along in a carefree swagger (a treadmill being used to facilitate this) being greeted by his friends as he passes them by. But then his girlfriend becomes pregnant and he has to face questions from his family as to how he will cope - he doesn't know. A baby follows, then more, and life suddenly changes from a carefree whirl of drinking and partying to a dredgery of hard work and responsibility. The action explores this extraordinary period in his life, and his reactions and emations as he struggles to cope.
The action throughout this piece is frenetic, with the performers barely pausing for breath, and liberally interspersed with humour. The imagery was occasionally surreal, sometimes even bizarre, such as for example the juxtaposition of male and female in the child-bearing role. A clever sequence was the bar scene where the action is revealed through a sliding window in a black wall, the characters rearramging themselves as the window pans from left to right and then back.
The emotions this piece evokes are ones that most people could readily empathise with, particularly those of my generation who have lived through it all. The imagery is highly inventive but, unfortunately, I felt the piece lost its way towards the end - the impact being lost as the action slowed and the metaphors became increasingly abstract. I'm not sure if the devisor was trying too hard or simply ran out of ideas, but it became rather confusing and much of the latter third could have been readily excised to leave a better whole.
Amit Lahav played the unnamed central character, capturing the essence of the good natured oaf whose devil may care ways leave him little prepared for the path his life is about to take. He then leads us on a journey of joy, fear, confusion and eventual acceptance as life transforms around him, seemingly out of his control. The remaining four members of the cast, James Flynn, Al Nedjari, Delphine Gaborit, and Katherine Markee, each play multiple characters - friends, colleagues, officials and family members that the hero encounters on this unexpected journey. All five cast members spend much of the little over an hour run time on stage indulged in frantic activity, displaying a high level of physical fitness.
Energetic and physically impressive. An inventive peice which unfortunately loses it's way on the imagery and ends ups up blurring it's messages. Perhaps best suited to a post-graduate generation.