We are at a tribal campfire or perhaps a sweat-lodge. At the centre our Shamans, the Indonesian musicians Senyawa, are building an unearthly soundscape from Rully Shabara’s throat and Wukir Suryadi’s bamboo spear. At a certain moment, when the energy is ready, the eight dancers spark out of the circle like electricity – shaking, whirling, […]

Lisa Wolfe attends Caravan, a biennial showcase that introduces England’s brightest independent theatre artists to festival organisers from around the world.  In his welcoming address to Caravan 2018, Gavin Stride, director of host organisation Farnham Maltings, described the event not as a showcase, but as a conversation between ‘us’ (Caravan self-describes as ‘new English performance’) […]

Here is one of those ideas that seems simple on the surface but which digs deep. Across a map of the world, two men and two women are gently placing split chickpeas in lines, joining points between black pebbles. The lines mark journeys, and notes of some of these journeys are read out at intervals. […]

It’s a Jewish custom to cover mirrors and black out windows for the seven days of mourning following a death. ‘Sitting shiva’ brings people together to sit without thought of themselves; the lack of mirrors denying vanity and bringing the focus inwards. This is the state in which we find bereaved husband Dave and his […]

Slot Machine Theatre combine contemporary dance, puppetry, digital imagery and (mostly) live piano in this ambitious performance for audiences aged 6+, commissioned for Brighton Festival 2018. The production sets a strong tone in the relatively cosy space of the Brighthelm Centre. We’re invited to sit on assorted floor coverings, with a beautifully-realised three dimensional soundwave […]