Writings

ThickSkin: The Static ¦ Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

ThickSkin: The Static

August 14th, 2012 by

Presented as part of the Made in Scotland programme, The Static is the third piece by ThickSkin in what could loosely be called a trilogy, the first two pieces being White Noise and Boy Magnet. What these three works have in common is an interest in investigating natural forces like electricity or magnetism, and in using them as the basis […]

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The KTO Theatre 2: The Blind ¦ Photo: Sławek Jedrzejewski

The KTO Theatre 2: The Blind

August 14th, 2012 by

The Blind is an outdoor theatre show created by the Polish company KTO Theatre and inspired by the Portuguese writer José Saramago’s novelBlindness. I’d find it impossible to review the show without making some consideration of how Saramago’s work has influenced a whole generation of new creators in performance arts and cinema. In South America, where […]

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Let Slip: Machines for Living

Let Slip: Machines for Living

August 13th, 2012 by

Invoking the futuristic ambiance of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Machines for Living is a bright piece of theatre with an angular monochrome set and great costume designs. With strongly stylised performances, Let Slip, a company of four, welcome us into a gleaming mechanised age. The world is ‘plagued by eyes that do not see’, and its homes for heroes […]

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La JohnJoseph: Boy in a Dress

La JohnJoseph: Boy in a Dress

August 12th, 2012 by

Beautifully performed and pitched, Boy in a Dress is a fast-moving autobiographical show recounting ‘transdrogynous’ performer La JohnJoseph’s memories through direct address to the audience, songs and even a striptease. There’s dance and illustrative movement, humour and pathos. It all holds together superbly; you can taste the quality straight away. It’s colourful, lively, fast-paced and tender, the […]

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Look Left Look Right: NOLA

Look Left Look Right: NOLA

August 12th, 2012 by

It’s always refreshing to see young artists ready to take on the issues of the day – be they political or ethical – bringing them to the stage, and discussing them in a provocative and clever way. NOLA is a courageous play, a verbatim piece that sheds a great deal of light on the subject of the […]

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