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Theatre
PREEIEEW CONTEMPORARY CHINESE
DA
CLOUD GATE DANCE THEATRE OF TAIWAN Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Fri 25 & Sat 26 Apr
Since its formation in 2000. the Dance Consortium has brought us an array of international treats. From ballet to hip hop. the Consortium introduces diverse, innovative and challenging dance companies to audiences across the UK. The latest of which is the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, whose Moon Water show has attracted more than its fair share of superlatives.
The first contemporary dance company to hail from a Chinese- speaking country. Cloud Gate blends Eastern and Western styles with the movement and breathing techniques of Tai Chi. Taking the less is more approach. the dancers create circular patterns dressed in identikit white silk costumes. Beneath them lies a stage flooded with water. above them a sea of mirrors which reflect the action below.
Set to Bach's Suites for Solo Cello. Moon Water is as much a work of art as it is performance. and a fascinating chance to see how contemporary dance and traditional culture can make beautiful bedfellows.
(Kelly Apter)
PREVIEW NEW WORK
THE POLISH PLAY Craigellachie Village Hall, Craigellachie, Aberdeenshire, Wed 30 Apr, then tounng
The issue of immigration becomes more controversial each day, and everyone has an opinion. We regularly hear what the politicians and the papers think. but we rarely hear anything from the perspective of the migrants themselves.
One such stOry is at the heart of the new play from Farnham Maltings. which is currently touring village halls across the UK. Michael Strobel and Agniesczka Korzuszek star in the story of a Polish woman who comes to Britain to work as an au pair. accompanied by her ageing father. Strobel explains that the play was devised especially for village halls. 'It has been said that village communities carry the lifeblood of the nation. This piece explores what it means to be a visitor to
that.‘
The play was inspired by a restaurant. where all the staff appeared to be migrants. and Strobel is confident that it will cause debate among audiences. ‘Once the play is finished, it is common for people to remain. talking. It is thought- provoking. though in a very subtle way.‘ Gaining positive responses from audiences so far. Strobel is full of praise for director Gavin Stride's work. He says. 'lt's the most original. brave and innovative weaving of cultures.‘ With Korzuszek providing a rare Polish perspective, it may shine light on the other side of this hot
topic. (Sarah Redhead)
PREVIEW NEW WORK THAT NIGHT FOLLOWS DAY Tramway, Glasgow, Thu 1-Sat 3 May
‘My own observations show that we have rated the powers of children too low and that there is no knowing what they cannot be given credit for.’ Freud believed growing up became a matter of submitting to harsh and tyrannical rules which ignore the child’s real nature. Tim Etchells’ latest production explores these rules through the eyes of the children themselves.
‘The power of adults is huge. As a child we are all too familiar with the word “No”: “No not now, no you’re too young, no you can’t . . .”’ According to director Etchells, the young performers enjoy nothing more than parroting these adult excuses back at their audience in his new play with Victoria, the Belgian company behind last year’s powerful production, Aalst.
Etchells explains: ‘Victoria invited me to create a piece with young people for adult audiences. The project I proposed involved a chorus of children speaking to the audience about the way adults shape, make and create their world. So, the piece constructs this enormous catalogue beginning with: “You wash us, you feed us, you watch us while we’re sleeping.”’
The children tell the story through a mixture of
dialogue, monologue and movement. ‘One of the starting images for the piece was the idea of either a choir or a school photo where the children are expected to stand on their best behaviour and read and speak in unison. It’s a very organised and controlled image, which, over the course of the piece, the children find a way to disrupt. On the one hand it’s about this big machinery, which is socialising kids, but next to that it is also a little celebration about how the kids as individuals, or as a force, find ways to expose the cracks of those systems.’
This concept will undoubtedly remind audiences of their own childhoods and the way we can all affect the childhood of those around us. ‘The whole thing very much confronts you as an adult spectator because they are playing back what you see and do and asking why,’ says Etchells. ‘So we create a comedy and drama from that confrontation.’
Having developed the piece in Ghent with a Belgian cast, Etchells admits that, while the language barrier was a challenge at first, he’s had a ‘fantastic’ experience working with Victoria. ‘They are genuinely interested in art and following initiatives and really trying to create space for new ideas and it’s a huge pleasure to work in that context.’ (Greer Ogston)
24 Apr -8 May 2008 THE LIST 93