Saturday 12 February 2011

Side Effects by dANTE OR dIE at Richmix

There was a lovely atmosphere preceding the show and as the house was filling up we were offered a small pot containing some medication to help us through the show. The performance commenced ten minutes late and I found the beginning slow and very intense but the pace quickly picked up as the family started to go about their daily activities. The audience are shown just how reliant on medication our society are.
The cast works very well as an ensemble and performs the choreography with supreme confidence. Laure Bachelot and Terry O’Donovan’s performances were delightful to watch as they discovered the joys of growing up. For me the star of the night was 75 year old veteran ballet dancer Betsy Field who performed a realistic heart attack scene with aplomb.

Artistic Director, Daphna Attias made a wise choice when appointing Movement Director, Nicky Ellis whose choreography is a detailed exploration of everyday movement while pushing the boundaries of the body. I found that it took me a while to get use to the distinctive style of movement but after a while I was captivated by it. When coupled with Yaniv Fridel’s music, it bought the story to a completely different level. The music that was so expertly composed was essential to the movement and pace of the piece and heightened the experience.

The set, a floor plan of a flat designed by Jenny Hayton worked very well with the rest of the production. This is the same for Adam Povey’s lighting although I feel that with a bigger budget this piece would benefit from a more defined lighting design.

After watching it I was left asking myself whether I wanted to take medication ever again but also whether we as a race have become reliant on or addicted to pharmaceuticals.

As a whole the story is presented very well, although at times it felt like the production was missing something. It is a good length and there was always something to keep your attention. I thoroughly enjoyed the piece and would recommend it to any body who has ever taken medication before.

Written by Thomas Moore

Monday 31 January 2011

Thoroughly Modern Milly Joins Our Team!

Blogger, Thoroughly Modern Milly has joined our ranks as our first regular columnist!

Check her out here: http://thoroughlymodernmilly5.blogspot.com/

We hope you will enjoy her fabulous future contributions (:

Sunday 30 January 2011

The Boy James, Southwark Playhouse

The Boy James – Southwark Playhouse

Belt Up Theatre have a remarkable ability to transport an audience, seemingly into their own minds. From the moment you enter their cosy den you become part of the creative process of their world. Audience interaction, so often an intimidating prospect, is approached by Belt Up with fragile and disarming charm.

Inspired by the life of J. M. Barrie, The Boy James is something of a meditation on the themes of innocence and experience, beautifully embodied in the eyes of the two actors representing him: as The Boy, Jethro Compton’s are shiny, bright and heart-breakingly expectant, James Wilkes’ as James are distant and pained, as if they have been crying for days.

Here are the makings of something truly heart-wrenching and magical, as other Belt Up productions have been, but in this case the material is somewhat lacking (the first clue is that the interactive games at the start go on for far too long, especially for a show totalling 60 minutes). The dialogue is repetitive, at times bland and at others insincere. Although the ideas and performances begin to stir up strong emotions they remain
frustratingly intangible.

For fans of Belt Up The Boy James could be a disappointment, for others the experience may well prove fresh enough to be positively worthwhile, if not entirely satisfying.

by Rae Doherty