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. […]
Writings
Stopgap Dance Company: The Enormous Room
May 17th, 2018 by Lisa WolfeIt’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: The Boy, the Piano and The Beach
May 16th, 2018 by Beccy SmithSlot 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 […]
Casier and Dies: Apples
May 15th, 2018 by Beccy SmithThe relentless logic of everyday objects is a language deeply familiar to very small children. To fresh eyes and hands still discovering their own dexterity, household materials hold their own mystery and no more so than the instruments of the kitchen, in which so many intriguing transformations take place. This is the world into which […]
Pocket Epics: Puppet King Richard II
May 15th, 2018 by Matt RudkinFrom the vocal virtuosity of the performers to the beguiling visual design, this eccentric and inventive retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy inspires confidence from the start – we are clearly in highly skilled hands. Cleverly staged in the covered courtyard of the ONCA gallery in Brighton, the production employs a bricolage aesthetic with wonderful details emerging […]