list.co.uk/festival STILL BREATHING Impressive but joyless contemporary dance ●●●●●
There’s plenty to admire in this new show by all-male company 2FaCeD DaNcE, not least the virtuosity of UK breakdancing champion, Robby Graham. Plus some incredibly tight ensemble routines, which fuse street dance with contemporary to explore the possibilities and limitations of the body in space. In these extended sequences the
performers’ movements are deliberately, repeatedly frustrated by their proximity to the next dancer. And these restrictions are further compounded when the tall, sinister stepladder-like structures that bookend the stage begin moving inwards, squeezing the space tighter and tighter until the group are penned in, forced to extend their bodies upwards, grabbing frantically at the free air. Yet, despite this attempt at a
narrative through-line, and the charged bespoke score by Anthony Murphy, the show still feels a little disjointed, like a series of (admittedly impressive) vignettes strung together rather than a coherent, compelling whole. And for all the sweat-dripping commitment of the dancers and the sharpness of their routines, there’s something rather joyless about the spectacle, with little attempt made to connect with the audience. (Allan Radcliffe) ■ Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 31 Aug (not 24), 4.30pm, £12–£13 (£10–£11).
FLHIP FLHOP: EVERYTHING HAPPENS ON THE BREAK Comic theatre gives hip hop the brush off ●●●●●
Given how the Fringe aspires to be a place for artistic cross-pollination and experimentation, should we be surprised when worlds collide? Well, what about the pairing of hip hop culture and painting and decorating? The white dungarees and paint soaked rollers are only the start, as Rannel Theatre Company throws down an hour of genuinely breathtaking physical comic theatre.
Joey and Matt are on a decorating job at their rich friend Dave’s bachelor pad, but Matt’s pining for his lost love, and Joey’s short attention span is getting him into hot water. Essentially this is an excuse for the pair to display their skills via a string of skilfully conceptualised set pieces: beatboxing, a turntables face-off, furious popping and locking breaking moves, or a truly bizarre, but inspired piece of choreography involving two men, a stack of album covers with famous/odd faces on them and some seriously deft DJing.
This is a genuinely laugh-out-loud funny show, skilfully executed with razor sharp timing and intrinsic hip hop skills that are never diluted by the need to fit in the narrative. (Mark Robertson) ■ Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 31 Aug, 12.50pm, £10 (£8).
CIRCA Bodies balancing, beautifully, breathtakingly ●●●●● Circa is just about human bodies. About what they can do, how much they can take, how they can be funny and sensual and cruel. About their possibilities. The six-strong cast of charismatic young Australian performers need nothing more
GELABERT AZZOPARDI COMPANYIA DE DANSA Double-bill from acclaimed Catalan choreographer
To say Cesc Gelabert is in a class of his own isn’t strictly true – but it’s fair to say there are very few pupils sharing the room with him. His unique and incredibly cerebral movement style has been enjoyed across the world, both as a soloist and with his company, Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia de Dansa. Run by Gelabert and his partner (on stage and off), Lydia Azzopardi, the
Barcelona-based troupe will soon light up the Edinburgh International Festival with an exquisite double-bill. Sense Fi and Conquassabit may look very different, but share two crucial elements – Gelabert’s captivating technique and a great deal of dancing.
‘If you look at a lot of modern dance groups, they do very interesting
stage work,’ says Gelabert. ‘Which I appreciate and think is nice. But what many of them do is avoid dancing – because to do something modern with dance is very difficult.’ Difficult, but not impossible, as he ably proves. Gelabert’s way of working is influenced by many things, not least his early training in architecture. For him, the body is a collection of 206 bones, and he encourages his dancers to have an awareness of as many of them as possible. He also wants the dancers to be themselves, and bring their individual
personalities onto the stage with them. ‘One of the most important elements of dance is that you don’t do it with pieces of paper,’ he laughs, ‘you do it with human beings – and each one of them has their own dreams and visions.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 473 2000, 21–23 Aug, 8pm, £10–£28.
Festival Dance
than their bodies, a wildly eclectic soundtrack, great lighting and a couple of aerial cords to create an utterly wonderful hour-long piece.
As they slam themselves onto the floor, pull and maul each other into gravity- defying balances, contort and exploit the possibilities of their various physiques, a palpable sense of amazement rises from the audience. There are scenes of broad physical comedy, wince-inducing moments of sado-masochism, a breathtakingly beautiful dance sequence of balancing, pale spotlit limbs set to a Sigur Ros track and an adrenaline-rush finale of high-octane aerial work.
These are bodies used not just as playthings or to show off, but tools to express nuanced emotion, in every minute clench of muscle or flick of wrist. As the dancers clamber onto each other, they aren’t just demonstrating their agility, they seem to be making wordless points about relationships, the ways we interact, use, abuse and love each other. (Kirstin Innes) ■ Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 31 Aug (not 24), 4.30pm, £14.50–£16 (£13–£15).
LOLA: THE LIFE OF LOLA MONTEZ Biographical drama flamenco-style ●●●●●
The life of Lola Montez is ideal for the stage: an Irish woman who re-invented herself as a Spanish dancer, her fame in the 19th century makes her the natural ancestor of the modern celebrity. Yet this complex story is confused by the rapid pace, and fails to do Montez justice.
The cast work hard, and Ricardo Garcia’s flamenco guitar drives the action, but it is unclear who the characters are – Lola’s various lovers merge together – while the themes of guilt and religion are clumsy. Dancer Frederic Gomez is underused, and the structure lurches between episodes. Montez herself is, fittingly, a mystery.
Memories of childhood give her motivation, but she seems to cross the world without any reference to politics, art or society. There are allusions to times and places – one moment she is in Bavaria, the next in Australia: yet there is no sense of the culture of that era. That the cast are so solid makes the disorder all the more disappointing. The central character is ripe for rediscovery: an early feminist icon, perhaps, or a charlatan who exposed the absurdity of the century’s attitudes to art and women. Unfortunately, this production doesn’t rescue her from obscurity. (Gareth Vile) ■ New Town Theatre, 0844 477 1000, until 30 Aug (not 24), 6.45pm, £11–£12 (£9–£10).
20–27 Aug 2009 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 41