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A binary piece of work that draws together disparate types of manipulation, some of which are highly impressive.Summary
Rating
Good
This & That is the creation of Phil Soltanoff and Steven Wendt, and plays at the Pit, Barbican Centre as part of MimeLondon. The duality of the title is reflected in the form of the piece, which is performed by the duo, and feels rather like two shows grafted together.
The first section is a highly abstract combination of music and light, which sees the rear of the stage pulsing and shifting as manual interactions interrupt the projections, causing them to alter with disruptive human intervention. Cameras, tripods and gadgets move in and amongst the lighting, and at times, it’s almost like a form of visual jazz. It’s interesting to try to work out how the technology is being used and to see how it tests borders of space and placement. For me, however, this pushed my boundaries of tolerance a little too quickly and my engagement began to fade.
I was therefore delighted when the second section of the evening took us into an imaginative, skilful world of shadow puppetry. Here, the manipulation allows small stories to form using only hands to create wonderful human figures, made alive in the light beam and set against emotive music. We meet a lip-synching cowboy, are touched by the tale of a couple and their small child, and are taken imaginatively deep underwater. The highlight is undoubtedly a hilarious disco scene where a shadow John Travolta hits the dance floor with signature moods, sex appeal and sass. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a sexy shadowgraphy character before, but this guy really pulls it off.
It’s a tremendous feat to be able to achieve these shapes and figures, involving impressive manual dexterity but also incisive judgment, as the performer’s face may not even be looking at his hands, or able to view the distance between the lamp and the objects, which affects scale and focus. Aside from the technical skill there is a beautiful, dreamlike quality as the images morph, dissolve and resolve into new characters with new stories. It’s quite enchanting.
However, all good things must come to an end and the performance wraps up with a return to the light show from which it began, this time the presence of a hand clearly visible, breaking apart the cosmos of tiny stars. I’m not really clear why this framing device is there, or how – if at all – it speaks to the central section, but I’ve enjoyed bits and pieces of the show: this and that. And I imagine that’s all that’s required of me.
Co-writers Phil Soltanoff and Steven Wendt
Director: Phil Soltanoff
Technical: Director Stéphane Chipeaux-Dardé
Producer: The Institute of Useless Activity
Coproducer: The Bushwick Starr
Delegated producer (outside US): Compagnie 111 – Aurélien Bory
This & That plays at the Pit, Barbican Centre until Saturday 17 February.
Further information and booking can be found here.
