It's 11.59pm 1999. A time to recall past new years before the end of the millennium. A time to check out who your friends are and what we all mean to each other. The Frantics mix contemporary sounds and group choreography with homespun dialogue to ask questions of themselves and their audience – some more clearly than others.
Some of the choreography in Zero was slight and lacked dynamism. The sounds were rockin' but the movement didn't keep up. Sometimes Steve Kirkham's choreography seemed hindered by the ability of the performers. He should rather have played to their strengths. However, on the whole the interaction between the performers was spot on. There was an authenticity to their inter-relationships which helped to strengthen the choreography. The self-referential moments (‘Did you see me in Flesh? I had a bigger part in that...’) helped create an intimate atmosphere. The company's direct approach to the audience helps add to the relevancy of the piece. The dialogue was stuff we can all relate to. We’ve been to those parties, we have those friends.
As ever the Frantics use of the set which comprised a Wendy house was creative. They hid inside it, jumped onto and fell off it and used it as a place to make quick costume changes. This added a nice element of surprise to the show. There was a slight episodic feel to the piece but the joins were skilfully concealed. Frantic Assembly have now completed the trilogy. While Zero was not as powerful as their previous two pieces it is still worth a watch.