★★★★

“we are being invited to a new kind of theatrical experience”

Claire Cunningham is a disabled artist, who performs on crutches. Predominantly known for her dance and choreography, in this affecting examination of journeys, she also draws upon her experience as a classical singer.

We begin in the lit studio, with beanbags and chairs on the stage, welcoming audience members to immerse themselves in the performance. A rumpled sheet bisects the floor, feeding into a thin AV screen, which projects surtitles and looped film. In the corner a mountain has been built with crutches, all intersecting like a molecular model or a climbing frame.

As the audience file in, Cunningham moves amongst the crowd, chatting amiably and encouraging everyone to get comfy. This sets the tone of the show – we are being invited to a new kind of theatrical experience, one which has accessibility woven into the fabric of the piece.

Cunningham welcomes us to the space and prepares us by demonstrating the extremes of light and darkness, silence and noise, making sure we know what to expect. There will be no sudden surprises.

It’s rare to feel so connected to a performer. It can also be rare to feel so relaxed and comfortable as an audience member. Cunningham’s warmth and acceptance is infectious.

As the show begins, we watch Cunningham blend physical theatre with snatches of spoken word poetry and the classical song cycle ‘Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen’ (‘Songs of a Wayfarer’) by Gustav Mahler. Parts of this are mesmerising, her voice transcendent and movement captivating.

This is an ambling, exploratory show. It takes the theme of journeys and considers it through many lenses. There are performance breaks, ebbs and lulls which are both stylistic and physically necessary for Cunningham.

There are many different elements blending together. The projected film sees Cunningham’s feet and crutches navigating different terrain, as well as shots of waterfalls and running water. The spoken word element is recorded as voiceover, overlaying the performance with lyrical Scots. Choice phrases from the Mahler lyrics are projected on the floor, reminding us to slow down and to take our time.

The messaging of the show echoes within its form. It is meandering and soothing.

This won’t be a show for everyone, certainly the pacing may be too slow for some. There are patches where the energy drops a little, or where a moment lingers too long. Some of the meaning was a little murky, and there were elements that were not immediately clear.

However, as an exploratory piece of art it is undoubtedly beautiful. Cunningham’s voice is skin-tinglingly lovely and her physicality and innovative choreography are jaw dropping.

ΑΓΡΙΜΙ (FAUVE) at the Lilian Baylis Studio

★★★

“Deeply visceral and undeniably blunt”

The concept of Αγρίμι (Fauve) is simple, yet primitive: humans and animals, coexisting, changing, merging in the wild and unexplored corners of the forest. It’s not new or groundbreaking, but its focus on the constant transformation and the hints of an underlying progression makes this piece intriguing to say the least. Created and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, it attempts to comment on our place within the natural world and order with the forest as its backdrop.

There are clear sections that give the audience a sense of evolution. At first, the three performers, Lenio Kaklea, Georgios Kotsifakis, Ioanna Paraskevopoulou, are fully clothed and following a distinct set of steps and repetitions, some might say in a sequence that resembles contemporary dance the most. There is an unyielding collaboration, a direct playfulness that quickly turns into something dangerous. Suddenly, the performers are aware of one another the way a pack would be, observing and adapting to the others’ behaviour. All this happens in perfect harmony and synchronisation, while a sense of mistrust and tension is boiling underneath.

It doesn’t take long before the three performers take off their khaki costumes (Olivier Mulin) and truly let go of any modesty linked to human behaviour. Here, on this stage, there is no room for that. They demonstrate different degrees of nakedness and we’re told a tale involving bears and humans which shows to the audience that in the forest, reinvention is possible. At one point, the performers grab torches and light different parts of their body, as if discovering them for the first time. There are no restrictions, which can be both freeing and threatening. By the end of the show, it almost feels like we’re observing animals in their natural habitat.

Although Clio Boboti’s set, consisting of three poles and two black balloons hanging from the ceiling, and Bruno Pocheron’s light design are quite plain, the use of video (Éric Yvelin, who is also the sound designer), props and the performers’ constant shifting around the stage keeps the show heavily focused on its theme. A chain is produced and there is no denying that it’s a bit too on the nose. However, it is used in a sort of contradictory way: instead of limiting and restraining, here it offers shapes and texture. It’s mostly what it signifies that does the trick and reinforces the animalistic nature of the performance.

The exploration of patterns and the subsequent abandoning of them is what truly stands out. Kaklea, Kotsifakis and Paraskevopoulou coexist, but also thrive individually, each bringing a unique quality and rawness to the piece. There is no pretence, no shame, no hiding. The transition towards the beast within and around us climaxes when the performers climb the poles and rest in various positions, looking calm and ferocious. Though impressive, by the end of the show it feels like an idea has been left incomplete. The style and the performances are there, but there is a sense of hanging, of slowing down and even dragging at times.

It’s not a conventional dance performance by any means, but Αγρίμι (Fauve), with its multidisciplinary approach, is a great example of how to show rather than tell. Deeply visceral and undeniably blunt.

SONGS OF THE WAYFARER

Lilian Baylis Studio

★★★★

“we are being invited to a new kind of theatrical experience”

SONGS OF THE WAYFARER at Lilian Baylis Studio

Reviewed on 4th December 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Sven Hagolani

More reviews from Sadler’s Wells’ venues:

SONGS OF THE WAYFARER

SONGS OF THE WAYFARER

ΑΓΡΙΜΙ (FAUVE) at the Lilian Baylis Studio

★★★

“Deeply visceral and undeniably blunt”

ΑΓΡΙΜΙ (FAUVE) at the Lilian Baylis Studio

Reviewed on 31st October 2024

by Stephanie Christodoulidou

Photography by Maria Toultsa

Previously reviewed at other Sadler’s Wells venues:

ΑΓΡΙΜΙ

ΑΓΡΙΜΙ