Theatre Manchester

REVIEW – 4 x 4: Ephemeral Architectures (The Lowry, Salford)

kristobel2 Comments
Kate Byrne & Owen Reynolds from Gandini Juggling 4x4 Ephemeral Architectures - ©Arnaud Stephenson
Kate Byrne & Owen Reynolds from Gandini Juggling 4×4 Ephemeral Architectures – ©Arnaud Stephenson
 Date: 1 JUly 2015
Upstaged Rating: 

4 x 4 Ephemeral Architectures invites two beautiful, but integrally different, art forms to share a stage for the first time. Directed by internationally renowned juggler Sean Gandini and with choreography by Royal Ballet dancer Ludovic Ondiviela, Gandini Juggling return to The Lowry to collaborate with classical ballet dancers.

The result is truly beautiful – a simple exposed stage gives the 4 jugglers and 4 ballet dancers a chance to explore the beauty of these two very different age old practices. At times it is hard to separate the jugglers from the dancers and the fluidity is praiseworthy – a fusion of dancers extended limbs and skittles suspended mid flight.

4 x 4 is like rhythmic perfection, as pure patterns and mathematics collide – the jugglers move like dancers frequently and the dancers mimic the timing and movement of juggling with their voices, breathing and the soft pad of their feet on the bare stage. ‘Is it possible to dance when the ball is in the air?’ The jugglers and dancers trusting one another on stage – we realise that the two share similar skills – balance, timing, control and elegance.

This is a show with astounding synchronicity – as I struggle to keep my eyes on the balls, green, yellow and white; filled with mathematical complexity – flying clubs and throwing hoops to land like ruffs around the dancers. There are a few rogue clubs that hit the deck but they are hard pushed to dent this astonishing performance.

The fascinating and witty dialogue between the two respected crafts is supported by music from Camerata Alma Viva, a chamber ensemble of five (double bass, cello, viola and two violins) who perform Nimrod Borenstein’s original composition, ‘Suspended Opus 69’. Guy Hoare’s lighting design, with wonderful exposed lighting rigs, fully complements all of the movement on stage adding a further dimension to this striking cross-art amalgamation.

Running at around 60 minutes 4 x 4 is a surreal, assured and laugh-out-loud funny (my 9 year old thought so too) display of beauty and intelligence which certainly delighted the Salford audience.

-Kristy Stott

 

REVIEW – Luisa Omielan(The Lowry)

kristobel
Luisa Omielan 1
Date: 19 May 2015
Upstaged Rating: 

Following the success of Luisa Omielan’s last show What Would Beyonce Do, she has been catapulted into stardom and earned her stripes as a feisty, forthright and frankly downright funny stand-up comic. There has been a real buzz of publicity around Luisa Omielan’s latest show, Am I Right Ladies – she has made the headlines for stripping down to her spanx and the popular ‘thigh gap’ video went viral and totted up more than 10 million views on Facebook alone.

Am I Right Ladies explores Luisa’s new found fame and focuses on her life as a female comedian, being a woman and the currencies that we use to valuate ourselves and each other. Am I Right Ladies tackles subjects such as weight and body image, depression and derogatory language against women. What makes Luisa so special is that she can approach these emotive and current issues with empathy, vigor and amusement – I left Luisa’s show with an aching jaw, a big grin on my face and feeling half a stone lighter.

Luisa Omielan’s crowd is made up mainly of women although there were a few men who had curiously popped along with partners to see what all the fuss was about. Interestingly it was the men who seemed to laugh the loudest throughout the bold, brassy and fearless show. Luisa has a talent for making her audience feel privy to her hilariously personal and intimate stories -her one night stands, her holiday to Zante when she was nineteen and her liberating encounter with ‘well endowed’ Errol.

The only shame was that Luisa’s warm up act Zoe Iqbal didn’t get the liberated crowd quite as ‘lubed up’ as she had promised to, which gave the whole experience a bit of a lull before Luisa took to the stage for the main show. However, once Luisa took centre stage to the beat of some current tunes, the audience relaxed into the big night out vibe.

Luisa is no doubt a fabulous star and a real figure that many women can relate to, her future is bright and I can’t wait to see what she brings in the way of new material. Am I Right Ladies is just the ticket you need for a night out with the girls and so as Luisa says ‘Go Get Yours!’

-Kristy Stott

 Luisa continues her Am I Right Ladies tour in Belfast The Mac on the 18th-20th June 2015.