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You'll leave the theatre happier than you entered after watching this show that is a shared human experienceSummary
Rating
Unmissable!
As I found myself stepping into the Battersea Arts Centre for Jo Fong and George Orange‘s The Rest of Our Lives, a mix of anticipation and scepticism buzzed through me. My relationship with dance is, to put it mildly, complicated. Although I recognize the impressive nature of fluid movements and the unspoken stories dancers can convey, it’s often something I simply don’t ‘get.’ This show, however, with its promise of humour and heartfelt themes woven through its performances, hinted that it might just change my mind.
After double checking that everyone got their little piece of paper with a number and chatting with audience and staff alike, Fong starts the show by breaking into dance, getting tired, taking a sip of Coke from her hidden stash and letting us know that George is really good at what he does and that she is also really good. Which I believe is a great summary.
The choreography and physicality are entertaining, oscillating between sombre moments and a pervasive silliness. “Spontaneous” is an understatement. Chairs are thrown onto the floor to the sound of Rage Against the Machine a couple times, as they should. There’s tumbling down stairs, there’s build-ups that last minutes. With their combined century of experience, Fong and Orange know what the audience expects from them, and they take great pleasure in subverting those expectations.
The show features its very own passenger information display, informing the audience, for instance, that the current skit is about grief or that the next station is Vauxhall. These titbits not only guide us through the layers of performance but also sprinkle in puns and social commentary, making the experience simultaneously more accessible and thought-provoking.
The production excels at dismantling the traditional boundary between the audience and the performers, creating a deeply interactive experience. This blending is exemplified during a raffle, whose prizes I’ll keep secret, though I’m still nursing a small grudge about not winning.
The moment that truly highlights the audience’s integration into the performance follows the playful distribution of ping pong paddles and balls. After the initial fun, the tone shifts dramatically. An announcement declares “Empty fun”, and as the music takes on a mournful quality, Jo dances with tenderness. Meanwhile, the audience in the front row, still engaged with their plastic balls, unwittingly embodies this theme of superficial joy against a backdrop of deeper sorrow. This poignant interaction underscores the show’s exploration of the ephemeral nature of fun. As the evening progresses, the boundaries between performers and audience blur even further, leading up to a finale that truly must be seen to be believed.
The production seamlessly integrates themes of life’s struggles and joys throughout all its numbers. A recurring announcement, “The struggle is real”, encapsulates the show’s spirit—a mixture of humour, challenge, and the relentless march of time.The Rest of Our Lives does not just ask you to watch; it demands you live – live through laughter, tears, and dance. By the end we are part of something larger – a shared human experience that made me leave happier and truer to myself than when I arrived. This is not just a show to see; it is a show to be felt, a vivid reminder that life, with all its struggles and joys, is best lived fully and heartily.
Created by: Jo Fong and George Orange
The Rest Of Our LIves plays at Battersea Arts Centre until 22 June. Further information and bookings can be found here.
