THEATRE REVIEW: RUN

THEATRE REVIEW: RUN by 2Faced Dance Company  at Cast in Doncaster
RUN by 2Faced Dance CompanyRUN by 2Faced Dance Company
RUN by 2Faced Dance Company

THEATRE REVIEW:

RUN by 2Faced Dance Company 

at Cast in Doncaster

(March 14)

A PERFORMANCE of three dance pieces under the umbrella title of RUN proved to be a powerful and imaginative affair, showing what choreography can achieve in the hands of innovative people.

The five performers of the 2Faced Dance Company gave an exhilarating, mesmerising and aggressively physical performance, their efforts enhanced by top music and stage effects.

From the off it was a no-holds-barred show which took the audience on three journeys, though there was an overarching theme of individuals struggling against powerful forces.

Choreographers Tamsin Fitzgerald, Rebecca Evans and Lenka Vagnerova have worked alongside the dancers — Jason Boyle, Louis Parker-Evans, Kai Tomioka, Ed Warner and Jack Humphrey — to create three exciting explorations of what dance is capable of and of human emotion and turmoil.

An audience, which largely seemed to consist of what I would guess were young dancers or dance fans, certainly appreciated the show with enthusiastic applause and comments afterwards.

It’s great that Cast can bring innovative and different works to the area so frequently (well, pretty much every day).

The show opened with From Above, a four-hander exploring how we absorb each other’s emotional states, thoughts and views.

Using dramatic and stark lighting, a character seems to be born and take on a life of his own. But he is soon oppressed by outsiders and made to conform, losing his individuality.

But there is an optimism as the three oppressors also begin to develop their own individuality, though this proves to be something of a trap in the end.

In The Other, there is a consideration of people’s destructive relationship with fear and was inspired by the current political situation towards immigration.

In a haunting stage setting, using minimal lamps to light the action, two opposing characters vie for dominance, moving from shadow to light and back again.

With a distinct supernatural feel, the piece was oppressive and unsettling. The question was whether one of the men was fighting against a bad outsider or a darker aspect of himself - a question we should all ask ourselves when we consider our views on real-world subjects.

The show ended with a fast-paced piece called Fallen Angels in which spiritual beings cast out from heaven for sin and rebellion arrive on Earth and set about creating temptation and destruction. They fight amongst themselves, encourage bad behaviour, even become animalistic with one character racing round the stage like a deranged dog.

But in the end, there is a hint at some kind of redemption. One of the characters wakes up and finds he has angelic wings and attempts to soar away. But we never actually see him fly.

All in all, then, a thought-provoking and rather relevant piece (or pieces) of art which worked thanks to total commitment from the dancers.

It was dark, scary and full-on. For some reason it made me think it would be the sort of dance show that the film director David Lynch would make. That’s meant as a compliment from me.

The audience appreciated the way the dancers threw themselves into the show (literally) and it was a pleasure to experience. I was left exhausted just watching them, but I’m really glad I did.

ANTONY CLAY