Traces at Sadler's Wells - Peacock Theatre, LondonThe infectious excitement of this show starts before we even get a glimpse of the performers. While the audience is finding their seats in the half-light of the auditorium, there is hysterical giggling from the young people in my row as they realize the hugely projected faces on the screen in the middle of the stage are that of their friends as they queue up outside. When an announcement tells us that “there are emergency exits EVERYWHERE because anything could happen at any time” and to “please leave your mobile phone on because anyone could be trying to get in contact with you” we know we are about to see something very different. Traces doesn’t disappoint. It is a display of astonishingly accomplished, exceptional acrobatic skill, but instead of highlighting the difference between the super-human and us ordinary people, we are drawn in to their world. Using a microphone which dangles and swings about the stage intermittently, the performers tell us about themselves, exposing intimate details and absurd facts (for example, a passionate obsession with cereal, particularly Weetabix). A simplistic technique, it is sincere and works well to create an enduring connection between performer and audience. Traces is set in a bunker with a rather loose narrative about imprisonment and the threat of some sort of an apocalyptic attack. The story does not unfold much more than that. It is just used as a background concept, but we are treated to so much that is thrilling and beautifully-executed that it really doesn’t matter. That’s not to say that Traces is a series of circus acts. It is much more than that. It is a very successful and very genuine fusion of circus, dance and theatre, and each display of impressive skills tells some sort of story. In a mesmerising acrobatic dance on a tatty old armchair, the armchair flips upside-down and rights itself again while the performer gracefully balances and moves all around and on it, the whole time with her nose in a book. The urban, hanging-out feel is emphasized with a brilliantly-choreographed dance using footballs and an amusing skateboarding routine. But it is when we see the performances more typical of circus that Traces comes into its own. Appearing truly superhuman, the performers are wonderfully fearless on the Chinese pole, beautifully poised and graceful on the aerial loop, and really do seem to defy the laws of physics spinning inside a giant wheel. The show has a playful, rough-round-the-edges feel. At times it’s as if we are observing the performers play, creating work before our very eyes, though the choreography and stage management is tight and polished. Traces is a shining example of what modern circus theatre can be without loosing any of the magnificence of circus itself as an art form. It is infinitely cool, but manages to retain a wonderful vulnerable charm. |
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