list.co.uk/festival Reviews | FESTIVAL THEATRE
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SALT. Superb one woman tackling of racism ●●●●●
FROM IBIZA TO THE NORFOLK BROADS David Bowie unites a father and his son ●●●●● THE BELIEVERS ARE BUT BROTHERS Tech savvy show focuses on extremism ●●●●●
Selina Thompson’s delicate, moving look at family and legacy has a lyrical script which ebbs and flows like mighty oceans. A profound examination of her ancestors, she traced their journey through the Slave Triangle by cargo boat last year in a pilgrimage to the black diaspora. With her gentle wit and intelligence, she possesses a real sense of restraint.
Clad in a 19th century white dress, she emulates slaves’ struggle, talks of the resistance to calling anyone ‘Master’, and takes a hammer to a huge pile of rock salt on the ground. She is both effortless storyteller and iconoclastic performance artist.
The piece never descends into ire, didacticism,
or simple gesture politics, though. Thompson is far too subtle a writer and performer, and her nod to her loving, adoptive Jamaican parents is beautiful. Somewhat incongruously, too, she plays a well- chosen and heart-rending clip from Channel 4 sitcom Desmond’s, in which Carmen Munroe as matriarch Shirley Ambrose gratefully acknowledges her bloodline, but also speaks of Britain as her real home. Representation of ethnic diversity is vital and salt. is an evocative, powerful piece which should be seen by as wide an audience as possible. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Northern Stage at Summerhall, until 26 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 2.30pm, £12 (£10).
With a title lifted from David Bowie’s Life on Mars, this one-man show by Alex Walton trades heavily on knowledge of and appreciation for the late star. Although Martin hasn’t seen his father since he was two, the occasion of his 18th birthday sees him open a letter from his dad which sends him across London to visit locations central to their shared hero David Bowie. Martin travels from place to place trying to piece together an understanding of both the singer and his father. Enjoying Bowie’s work seems to connect father and son, but how will this journey of self-awakening affect Martin? That question isn’t answered in this extended monologue: Bowie’s work, despite the various forms it took, never played on sentiment in the way that writer-director Adrian Berry’s show does. That said, From Ibiza to The Norfolk Broads is performed empathetically by Walton, whose slight frame explodes with energy as he relates his story. He makes the play something more than just nostalgia for Bowie enthusiasts, managing to capture the emotional spine of a personal, if not entirely developed story. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 1.55pm, £9–£12 (£8–£11).
Javaad Alipoor’s show is a compelling look at the way modern technology disseminates information, and the way that groups like ISIS, can provide a sense of community for disaffected young men. Using powerful onscreen imagery, Alipoor draws
the audience in with cheeky banter and cat memes, before taking them into darker territory. After all, as he states, ‘we are only ever a couple of clicks away from the darker side of the internet’.
By focusing on a young man’s stream of
consciousness in a prison cell, or the fall-out from Gamergate, Alipoor suggests that online identities walk a thin line between freedom of speech and the freedom to attack others for certain ideologies. He is a superb performer, even when the technology breaks down. Yet, for someone who doesn’t want to engage in echo chamber discussions, there is a sense that he has surrounded himself with similar world views. His monologues, while evocative, are of a similar pace. Nonetheless, The Believers . . . is an intelligent piece which will provoke wider discussions on censorship, war and masculinity. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Northern Stage at Summerhall, until 26 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 12.45pm, £12 (£10).
THUS SPOKE . . . Rock’n’roll collides with philosophy in this irresistible show ●●●●●
Doing its bit to cement Montreal’s reputation as the world’s coolest city, Thus Spoke . . . is an unexpectedly winning slice of dance, theatre, music and philosophy. Four performers – Fréderic Lavallée, Marilyn Perreault, David Strasbourg and Anne Thériault – bounce around, their energy filling the bare, backlit stage more than any props ever could. They each take turns at the mic, taking on a variety of loosely existential themes: salaries, for example, are awesome, and some shows, you know, are just shit, no matter how hard you look for the good in them. And in between, they move around in sensual shapes and striking rhythms, to a stonking soundtrack of guitars and electro-pop. If it sounds nonsensical, it is. But surrender to its philosophical
drumbeat and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a show that pulses with experimental spirit and makes thinking hard fun. Directors Frédérick Gravel and Étienne Lepage are two of
Montreal’s most celebrated artists. Here, Gravel’s choreography and Lepage’s words come together in an impressive display of Canada’s theatrical talent. Keep an eye out especially for Lavallée’s ‘backspace’ routine, a masterclass in absurd physical humour.
As is clear from its title (a play on Nietzsche’s novel, Thus Spake Zarathustra), Thus Spoke . . . is unrestrained in its existential engagement. It’s refreshing to come up against a show that doesn’t make allowances in its aesthetic for the sake of a few more people through the door. Go, be challenged and have fun – you’ll come out energised and grinning. (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ CanadaHub @ King’s Hall, until 27 Aug (not 14, 21), 7.30pm, £10 (£8).
10–17 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 89