Advertsied as a preview or prologue to the eventual stage show which was sadly only ever seen in preview form prior to lockdown, and with a need for the company to remain 'connected' and focused on their piece in the hope they will return with it as soon as possible; Rhiannon Faith Company came together in isolation to create a 17 minute exploration of what it means for these characters to be stuck in isolation, leading up to the moment they all, for their own reasons, make their first tentative step out of their houses for the first time in months, and find themselves in the opening situation of the stage play... on the beach.
The beach, and the waves are omnipresent in this film too, each of the six characters has a view of it. But it's not a hot sunny day, and the beach is foreboding and dangerous, with grey waves and even greyer water.
In fact this piece of contemporary dance theatre is a microcosm of how many of us were and perhaps still are feeling throughout this period. It's disjointed, fragmented, and in there we see our own frustrations, our own feelings and inabilities, magnified and given reign. There is fear, loneliness, despair.
The six performers, the same as the stage show, admit their finding it difficult to cope and whether lockdown is over or not, they all simultaneously decide to seek help or solace from the outside world.
Water is a key theme within the piece, not just from the sea, but from taps, sinks, baths, showers, rain. It is continual, unremittant and misery-making. The music too, intense and pulsating, creates this sense of an underlying threat, and yet one that one simply cannot escape from.
The film offers contortionistic and frenetic contemporary dance alongside characters whose minds replicate the dance movements, thrashing and hyperventilating, which makes this allegorical film quite compelling.
The film was shot by the dancers in their own homes and directed remotely. Directed and choreographed by Rhiannon Faith with film direction by Adam Sheldon, and original muisc by John Victor. The six performers were Lewis Bramble, Cherie Coleman, Shelley Eva Haden, Thomas Heyes, Donald Hutera, and Maddie Morgan.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 11/7/20
No comments:
Post a Comment