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INCARNATION

★★★★

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

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INCARNATION at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

★★★★

“Caruso is a meticulous performer; each step choreographed with a purpose”

“I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember being tied up, being unable to speak. I remember how much I hurt trying to escape”.

Maria Caruso’s pre-recorded voice swoops above the stage while below, her lithe figure expresses the sentiment behind those words, alone on a vast stage. It is a moment of bravery that almost eclipses our appreciation of her unique choreography.

“I gave my soul and every ounce of energy to get away. And I was free. Free to become the person I am today… to let the past go and forget what happened. To find the light inside myself”

Although we never learn the detail – what happened to her? – her solo dance performance tells a powerful story. One that is personal to her but that we can interpret in whichever way we feel. The same was said of her previous show, Metamorphosis, of which Incarnation is, if not a sequel, an extension. Like the former, Caruso describes it as “an in-depth retelling of the intimate stories with no words”. Except that there are quite a lot of words in this show. Phrases litter the prologue to the performance as though torn out of a therapist’s thesaurus. We are invited to ‘see’ her story through ‘every fibre of her being’. There are definite moments when we feel we do not need really to be told this, but to let her movement, and Ryan Onestak’s evocative music score unfurl the narrative; along with our own imaginations.

“There is a powerful defiance that fuels the dance routines”

For it is visually quite stunning. It can be argued that Theatre Royal Drury Lane is too vast for this intimate piece, yet Caruso manages to fill the space with her personality. Simplicity is the key, with a minimal set reminiscent of the late Peter Brook’s ‘Empty Space’ school of thought. A lone clothes rail is a lonely backdrop, from which she plucks dresses that each represent a turning point in her life. Downstage, a writing desk is the only prop, at which she writes letters. In fact, the show is a love letter, a begging letter. She writes letters of intent, of pain, of revelation. To whom? A lover? A confidant? She waits for a reply forlornly. When it eventually arrives during the final moments, some of us might have seen its message coming.

But it is the journey that fascinates. Caruso is a meticulous performer; each step choreographed with a purpose. Her talents stretch beyond dance and there is something filmic about the show – the detail, facial expressions and small gestures speak as loudly as the body rolls and arches while her eye is firmly trained on the camera lens. It is a touch distracting and distancing, though, and at times we feel we are the studio audience for a future stream.

Innovative and emotive, we are left in no doubt that this is autobiographical. How much dramatic licence is used is open to question yet there is no denying the courageous honesty as Caruso figuratively and almost literally bares herself. Yet beyond the high-flown metaphors there is something calculated and controlled that belies the tortured soul that is being exorcised.

Nevertheless, we are uplifted. Something profound is taking place. Simultaneously hard to explain but simple in its truth. Caruso is a striking dancer and choreographer, image-maker, storyteller and thought-provoker. There is a powerful defiance that fuels the dance routines. Triumphant and optimistic, even if a touch over-dramatic and indulgent. Sometimes the emotion doesn’t ring true, and the suffering is at odds with the self-adulation; but we are more than willing to be drawn into the conceit. It is ultimately quite beautiful to watch.

 


INCARNATION at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Reviewed on 2nd October 2024

by Jonathan Evans

 

 


 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

PIPPIN IN CONCERT | ★★★★★ | April 2024
YOUR LIE IN APRIL | ★★★★ | April 2024
WILD ABOUT YOU – A NEW MUSICAL IN CONCERT | ★★★ | March 2024
HANDEL’S MESSIAH: THE LIVE EXPERIENCE | ★★★ | December 2022

INCARNATION

INCARNATION

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

 

YOUR LIE IN APRIL

★★★★

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

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YOUR LIE IN APRIL at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

★★★★

“Frank Wildhorn’s sumptuous score sweeps through the auditorium with its rousing ballads”

Midway through Act Two of “Your Lie In April” something extraordinary happens. Zheng Xi Yong, as the young musical prodigy Kōsei Arima, places himself at the piano and delivers an impassioned and outstanding solo. A moment during which the music demonstrates its unique power to lift us out of the world that surrounds us. Quite rightly it brings us to our feet as the final chords melt away into a brief silence before the applause. The emotion is heightened in the context of Yong’s character. A child prodigy, Kōsei Amina has a mental breakdown following the death of his mother. Although his hearing is otherwise unaffected, he is no longer able to hear the sound of his own piano.

For years he doesn’t touch the piano. Until he meets Kaori Miyazono, a free-spirited violinist who coaxes him back into playing. Miyazono teaches Arima that it is okay to occasionally deviate from the score; to let the music truly express the emotion rather than to seek the perfection that crippled him and that was instilled in him by his overbearing mother. Rumi Sutton gives us a polished performance as the manic Kaori, concealing her love for Kōsei with a lie that gives the musical its title.

The other shining star in this show is featured violin soloist, Akiko Ishikawa. Spotlit each time she underscores Sutton’s mimed recitals, it is a smart device. No director in their right mind would expect their leading lady to act, sing and play the violin simultaneously. Director and choreographer Nick Winston has eked out fine performances from the couple, mixing splashes of comedy with their story of unrequited love.

It is a fairly simple premise – but perhaps fleshed out too much – based on Naoshi Arakawa’s Manga series of the same name. Frank Wildhorn’s sumptuous score sweeps through the auditorium with its rousing ballads, interspersed with the odd, quirky upbeat number. Wildhorn demonstrates his skill at throwing in the unexpected just at the right moments and just as we think the score might become generic, we are met with some gorgeous modulations and chord changes. Sutton’s voice handles this all with ease and emotional strength.

Jason Howland’s musical arrangements call on an expansive ensemble that, despite yielding rousing choruses, is perhaps unnecessarily large for the show’s material. Likewise, we are offered a subplot that, although necessary for the understanding of the relationships, feels coincidental and secondary. There is a heart wrenching intimacy to the story that gets lost occasionally in the fanfare and flourishes. The detail is in the romance; the friendships and selfless sacrifices, and the broken hearts. And we want to look up close at the human element, rather than from up in the Gods through a wall of sound.

But, with credit to the committed ensemble company, we are still drawn in, and we feel for the protagonists. She, who only reveals her love when it is too late and he, who cannot hear his own music. He learns, however, to listen to it in his heart. We, the audience, are lucky enough to have one up on him. “Your Lie In April” is a musical that touches our hearts, but we also get to savour each and every note delivered with masterful vocals.


YOUR LIE IN APRIL at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Reviewed on 8th April 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Mark Senior

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

WILD ABOUT YOU – A NEW MUSICAL IN CONCERT | ★★★ | March 2024
HANDEL’S MESSIAH: THE LIVE EXPERIENCE | ★★★ | December 2022

YOUR LIE IN APRIL

YOUR LIE IN APRIL

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page