Tara Cheyenne Performance: bANGER

Tara Cheyenne Performance: bANGER

Tara Cheyenne Performance: bANGER

‘I am half man,’ says Tara Cheyenne, disconcertingly clad in lingerie, toes pointed at the end of very long legs. ‘My father is a man, and his father before him.’ Within minutes she has adopted not just the uniform of a male head-banging teenage high school misfit, but the whole physicality of him.

Acknowledging the gender appropriation and with a script that is funny and poignant in turn, bANGER is a dance-theatre piece that allows Tara to fully display her ‘awesome talent’ – as her character would no doubt say. His is a world of rock and roll fantasy, of loud guitars and war-games, of fancying unattainable girls, making a twit of himself in classes and getting beaten up in the locker rooms.

It is compelling stuff, loud and strong and danced with fierce conviction.

But once the character is established, the choreographic language becomes a little restricting, repeating signature moves of head-shaking and air guitar. This is perhaps why Tara introduces a sequence about the Battle of El Alamein, narrated by a goggly eyed English Colonel. It allows her to move in a different way and is certainly unexpected and brilliantly portrayed.

Marc Stewart’s musical score references Black Sabbath and Metallica and is pretty ear shattering in places, but never overwhelms. The lighting is a suitably full-on rock star design, serving the space well.

bANGER is a convincing portrayal of teenage angst and the characterisation is spot on, even if it does play rather to stereotype. Yes, he loves his mom, he is a history boffin (hence World War II re-enactment), he plays computer games and calls his one mate ‘dude’ – but dance gives him the freedom to express himself more fully. It’s what teenage misfits should be doing, Tara seems to suggest, as she figuratively opens her chest and throws her heart towards us.

www.taracheyenne.com

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About Lisa Wolfe

Lisa Wolfe is a freelance theatre producer and project manager of contemporary small-scale work. Companies and people she has supported include: A&E Comedy, Three Score Dance, Pocket Epics, Jennifer Irons,Tim Crouch, Liz Aggiss, Sue MacLaine, Spymonkey and many more. Lisa was Marketing Manager at Brighton Dome and Festival (1989-2001) and has also worked for South East Dance, Chichester Festival Theatre and Company of Angels. She is Marketing Manager for Carousel, learning-disability arts company.