Challenging, quirky and exciting this is a visually stunning, sometimes breathtaking work. It is the first in this year’s Reginald season and the last in Sue Healey’s ‘Curiosities’ series. It explores the curious complexities of the human form, aiming to challenge our preconceived notions of The Body in all its various shapes and forms.
Healey has gathered a very eclectic cast of fascinating artists, from the very tiny to the extremely tall, from emotionally radical and distant to ultra flexible. There is an acerbic, dry, witty voice over that introduces and establishes the characters.
There is fine ensemble work from the entire cast , including a big ‘showbizzy’ number , some Graeme Murphy like groupings, and some choreographed ‘sign singing’ . Everyone gets solos as well. Two highlights particularly stand out , the first being an extraordinary duet for Kiruna Stamell and James Berlyn . Berlyn is shirtless in black high heels .He solemnly partners Stamell , who does a tremendous tap dance in glitzy red shoes. He is used as her partner, looming over her and protecting her, while she performs her exuberant dance and high kicks. He is also in part a ‘barre’ for support. The contrast between them is amazing yet there is obvious rapport.
This is further developed in a later pas de deux – a hot tango where Stamell is on stilts. There they have great fun and the choreography includes a ‘ bullfight’ as well as a series of balletic arabesques and attitudes in another examination of gender, height and body build differences. Yet they seem at the same time very well matched.
Another highlight was the incredible solo for Benjamin Hancock .It is in some ways a mix of yoga and gymnastics but is also rippling , sculptural and fluid , demanding a very flexible back , a long extended ‘line’ and amazing reach.
Berlyn as ‘Alan’ also has a cabaret style number “ No One is There’ , singing while most of the cast fold in/out/through the stool he is sitting on. At the end he himself gets stuck and twisted in the stool – a metaphor for our minds? Our bodies?
There are hints of Narelle Benjamin’s previous work (especially ‘ No Body’ ) in her small fleeting solos. She also has a couple of fabulous en/folding pas de deux with Hancock , in superb partnership.
The ‘twins’ (Nalina Wait and Rachelle Hickson , one in green, one in pink , harking back to Healey’s ‘Alma and Ena’ that you can watch in the foyer) are excellent. Their unison work is possibly reminiscent of sections of Matthew Bourne’s ‘ work. Each also had at least one featured solo – Wait in green as Natasha has a sort of 1930’s Ashton-like solo to piano (wonderfully played by Pat H.Wilson , in fabulously glitzy diamante shoes , who also plays the accordion and acts as minder).
Another delightfully spooky section was the ‘ghosts’ in the fireplace. At first menacing arms, this then develops into a visually fascinating quartet for two pairs of legs , with extremely defined, sculpted muscles and flirty, pre hensile toes. – of the men . Very effective.
While the idea and use of the textured curtain was great (linking in with Brecht’s ‘alienation’? ) I found the constant use of it rolling back /being moved a bit distracting. Overall a most exciting performance but I found it a touch too long and fragmented. Some sections dragged on too long and other bits I wanted to see more of were curtailed too soon. It is a somewhat jumbled performance that needs cutting , tightening and editing a fraction , but it is astonishing and sometimes whimsically delightful.
VARIANT, with a running time of an hour, opened at the Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre on Thursday 26th July and is playing until Saturday 4th August, 2012.
© Lynne Lancaster
29th July, 2012
Tags: Sydney Dance Reviews: VARIANT, Reginald Theatre Seymour Centre, Sue Healey, Benjamin Hancock, Nalina Wait, Kiruna Stamell, James Berlyn, Narelle Benjamin, Rachelle Hickson, James Brown.