Petra’s Pulse, Drinking the Dawn

Review in Issue 17-1 | Spring 2005

Think Ionesco's Old Man and Old Woman of The Chairs, only 70 years younger. Selina Papoutseli and Jamie Wood, performers and devisers of Drinking the Dawn, create equally idiosyncratic and eccentric worlds with sensual precision and beauty. The Woman surrenders sleep for cooking, concocting a variety of dishes before our eyes and noses. The Man is a dreamer. On the tones of a softly played accordion melody, the dreamer glides into the world of the Woman. They meet and play, for real. As the two worlds converge, the Man and the Woman appear to be helping each other play out their respective fantasies: Him as her lost lover who she feeds and nurtures, and Her as part of his romantic fantasy in free-fall dreaming. It is a joy to watch. Watchfulness itself becomes ludic. In one moment, the Man walks up to the audience and looks at the faces of the spectators with a surprised smile. Another meeting of worlds occurs. Its playfulness guards against pretension. The landscape of dawn is a place where shapes do not have to be solid. Musings and movements are still allowed their dream-like forms. It is a soft, sensual yet striking place, animated by evocative sound design. The performers ensure that free dreaming is channelled into a tighter, glistening bell that bounces and dances with grace and allure. It comes to a gentle stop when the first words of the play are spoken and the piece comes to an end. Morning has broken?

Presenting Artists
Presenting Venue
Date Seen
  1. Oct 2004

This article in the magazine

Issue 17-1
p. 27