“with minimal words, it is through our performers’ bodies that we follow this charmingly humorous story”
The Ramshackle House may not be the most festive show you see this yuletide, however it will certainly be one of the most heart-warming, possessing a sense of Christmas spirit and cheer. The Stratford Circus Arts Centre adorned the theatre with fairy lights and lamps, giving off a cosy, Christmassy glow; yet it was the show’s core theme of friendship that really radiated the true values of Christmas.
The Ramshackle House is a production that is geared up for children and young audiences, but in spite of this, it is 45 minutes that the whole family will enjoy. Upswing have brought their ground-breaking concept of Circus Theatre, applying their multi-disciplinary skills of aerial, dance, music and theatre into a display that anyone, of any age, can admire and appreciate.
Set on the slanted roof of an odd looking house, we meet a character (Renato Dias) who seems content in life. His path crosses with a lady (Delia Ceruti) living near by, and they come to discover that living together they are able to accomplish a lot more. As they begin to become more comfortable in each other’s presence, the surprise arrival of the third character (Matthew Smith), stuck in the chimney, creates a new set of complications. As space grows to be an issue, our three amigos, start to build a new home upon the roof, yet this creates its own set of issues. Between battling with the weather and also with one another, it looks unlikely that they will have a home ready for Christmas, but, with the power of acceptance and adapting to others to make space, our three characters end satisfied with the home they have constructed and the friendships they have built.
Told with minimal words, it is through our performers’ bodies that we follow this charmingly humorous story. As imaginative as this was to behold, there were certainly times where I felt that the spectacle of impressive aerial skills was given precedence over the story telling, which would get a little blurred as to what was actually going on. You can always rely on the children in the audience to give a vocal, instinctive response to what they see, and as one little girl behind me said, as she watched the one character accomplish a wonderful series of aerial moves on an elevated square hoop; “why’s he doing that?” There were moments within the show where Upswing failed to make their accomplished movements relevant or progress the story forward, which was the only thing keeping them from making this outstanding.
Pushing these few issues to the side, this was still a delightful show. The set design from Becky Minto was incredibly inventive – on par with the originality coming from the performers. With a Christmas tree made out of lamps, falling snow and fairy lights, this unusual Christmas truly looked magical. In its own way, The Ramshackle House made me leave with a readiness for Christmas Day, excited for when I can be with friends and family, prepared to argue, accept and adapt in a similar way presented in the show.
Reviewed by Phoebe Cole
Photography by Mark Robson
The Ramshackle House
is at Stratford Circus Arts Centre until 24th December
“Big Foot is a true passion project, breathing new life into theatre…”
Big Foot, and tiny little heart strings, danced its way through elation to grave sadness, whilst maintaining poise, humour and a genuine rapport with the audience. Joseph Barnes Phillips delivers a vibrant, vital and deftly silly performance. Journeying through the fluctuating thoughts and feelings of youth, exploring the importance and difficulty of maintaining your heritage in a relentlessly upgrading world, Big Foot was never heavy-handed, always handling its subject matters with care. Intensified by the fantastic work of the creative team – particular commendation must go to Andy Grange, whose lighting design is second to none – it is clear that Big Foot is a true passion project, breathing new life into theatre and its audiences.
Big Foot is teeming with different dialects, but the mass of tongues never became tangled within Joseph’s single body. The audience was invited to have curry on the way into the auditorium, and a later reference to his mum’s jollof, exchanged for a packet of Walkers crisps, humorously juxtaposed the specificity of origin with globalisation. Thanks to the slick direction of Dominic Garfield, and the authenticity of Joseph Barnes Phillips’ script, the voices of Joseph’s mother, girlfriend and the various fleeting supporting characters blended together in harmony, to create a true storytelling experience. Often beautiful spoken word, street slang, hip-hop, prayer and grime music formed a polyphonic symphony.
Although Big Foot deals with emotionally raw material, its most refreshing virtue was that it did not take itself too seriously. Occasionally, this meant it seemed a little too on the spot. One instance in particular, when Joseph disappeared behind a screen which he manoeuvred, only to reappear and stand on a letter block to dance freestyle, disrupted the flow of the action too much, and came across as a little self-indulgent. But for the most part, the shift from comic to tragic was spine-tingling. From answering a toy phone in his pocket, to taking his mum’s blood pressure, the changes in tone were elegant and mature.
Nik Corrall’s striking set of stuffed toys, scaffolding, a mannequin, strings of lights and a parasol was a treat to behold. Transporting the audience from a hospital, to a park at dark, to a nightclub, Max Pappenheim’s sound design bounced around the space in a constantly dynamic way to highly original effect. Andy Grange’s lights were the perfect combination of subtle and daring, marking changes of character and supporting the energy of the booming grime. The set, lights and sound amplified the quality of the production up to a creatively formidable piece of theatre.
Joseph established a rapport with the audience from the get-go, so the piece’s ending, involving direct audience participation, which built to a moving final note, was not at all gratuitous. Beginning and ending dressed as his mother, Big Foot encapsulated the turmoil of young grief in a joyful celebration of life. Vivacious, cool; and verging on brilliant.
Reviewed by Eloïse Poulton
Photography by Camilla Greenwell
BIG FOOT
is at Stratford Circus Arts Centre until 7th October
