IJAD - my thoughts on In-finite Space at The Vaults

On Thursday night I found myself walking round Waterloo station trying to find the mysterious Vaults and the Vault Festival. Eventually stumbling on a graffiti artist’s heaven I found the right place – it is a brilliant place for a venue as you feel you’ve discovered a secret that few people know about.  Entering the space faced with a maze of corridors and crazy décor the venue becomes more and more intriguing.  Stumbling across an air raid shelter while trying to find the toilets and with a toy train suspended on the ceiling in the bar area it is like a mismatched old pub, but much cooler.

But I wasn’t just there to admire these secret tunnels.  I wanted to see how In-finite Space had developed since the Science Museum event – and I was not disappointed! The whole performance has changed significantly, with only a few recognisable elements.  The jugglers have completely gone, and so has the literal demonstration of the universe.  Instead the show explores your favourite spaces and you, the audience, contribute your favourite spaces (either physical, emotional or virtual).  The dancers then take these and work the spaces into their routine.

We are encouraged to tweet our favourite spaces before entering the performance, as well as during the show.  As with anything this participatory, the performers are relying on the audience.  And at times, it felt that the audience that I was part of weren’t particularly useful.  Tweets of favourite spaces seemed to keep repeating themselves on the screen and dancers had to repeat what tweet they were interpreting which was a shame. If the audience had all tweeted there would have been so much more material on offer.  Always a risk I suppose but one that could pay off had the audience engaged more. 

On entering the performance space everyone was given torches, and encouraged to wander around the dancers positioned around the room, who appeared to come alive once the torches were pointed at them.  I enjoyed this, it felt like an art installation that you had control over.  The show started with an energetic and exciting dance by two of the dancers – they had brilliant chemistry and seemed to bounce of each other as they flew around the room.  Particularly funny moments occurred when they paused and mimicked members of the audience. 

The tweets that were sent were very cleverly interpreted.  Rather than literally mimicking the actions described in the space, the dancers created brilliant improvisations that bought the sensations of those spaces alive. It was also interesting how one of my spaces was interpreted completely differently to how I felt.  I said that one of my favourite spaces is when you’re on a long train journey, and you’re listening to your favourite music.  For me, that would mean quite chilled and anthemic music as you’re whizzing through the countryside. However the dancer who read my tweet obviously thought it meant really upbeat dance music and proceeded to perform quite a manic dance.  Not really what I had considered but fascinating! Another great thing about seeing other people interpret your thoughts.  Overall the social media aspect worked much better than in the Science Museum show as it was obvious how our tweets were being used – again just a shame that not all the audience are as engaged.

There were a couple of things from the Science Museum show that I missed, the set and costumes were much more basic and given the fascinating space I think more could have been done.  Also, the live beatboxer worked so well at In-finite Space #1 I was disappointed to see he wasn't back.  The music was good but it lacked the thrill of being created right in-front of you.

Overall IJAD have done it again – created a performance that completely engaged and excited me in a unique venue.  I can’t wait for the next one.

IJAD - Infinite Space Returns

Back in October I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the phenomenal dance company - IJAD.  I was following the progress of their new performance, Infinite Space, which was to be performed at the Science Museum as part of their Space Late. I loved seeing the progress from initial rehearsals, when the performers saw the space for the first time, through to the final dress rehearsals and the performances on the night.  I felt privileged to be part of such an exciting creative process, and in awe of the talent of the dancers and the vision of Artistic Director Joumana Mourad.  So it was with great delight that I spotted IJAD on the VAULT Festival programme.

VAULT Festival is only in it's second year, it all takes place in the labyrinth of tunnels underneath Waterloo, this alone is enough to intrigue me.  It has a really varied programme, and you can also go at any time just to explore - something I will definitely have to do in the next week. Put VAULT Festival and the promise of IJAD returning with Infinite Space - evolved since it's premiere at the Science Museum back in October - together and I'm jumping out of my seat to make sure I'm there.

I'm really intriguied to see how the show has developed, and especially how they will develop the way Twitter is intergrated with the performance. Looking at their current Twitter activity they are again asking questions to make you ponder life and the universe - so it will be interesting to see how these answers are made part of the performance.

As they say on their website -
Just find #InfiniteReach on Twitter and we’ll travel the cosmos together. Add your creative thoughts like shooting stars across IJAD’s constellation and watch how your words alter the performance making each night unique. Experience the dynamic vastness and cataclysmic expanse of The Everything. 


You can read about my past IJAD experiences here on this blog.  Here's a few of my highlights from the rehearsals for the last performance of Infinite Space and thanks again to Asemic for the music.

I've been spoilt this week …

This week I’ve finally manage to see two shows I’ve always wanted to see.  The Lion King, thanks to a very generous birthday gift from my boyfriend and War Horse (although this was a live streaming in a cinema I’m still counting it). 

I said I wasn’t going to review The Lion King, but I can’t resist a little comment…I had high expectations for the show and wasn’t disappointed.  The whole thing is a spectacle of colour, costume and dance.  It’s a very slick and clever show, as you’d expect from such a long running West End success story.  I was particularly impressed at the way Mufasa’s death was staged.  The best part of the show was the music, and not the big hits everyone knows from the film, but the incidental music.  The harmonies of some of the more tender choral moments were goosebump making! I particularly liked 'One by One’ performed immediately after the interval, the cast wore colourful costume and performed this stunning choral piece, making me forget all about the gin & tonic in my hand.   There are six different African languages in the show, and in the words of the programme “Africa (is) at the heart of the production”, with the music bringing Africa to the West End.

The only thing I want to get off my chest is how badly behaved the audience were.  A constant level of noise was in the theatre, with people talking at normal volume and people eating everywhere!  And, to top it off, people started clapping along during Hakuna Matata – one of my biggest pet hates. Why can’t audiences just watch something, and take it in, without joining in?  Especially when people can’t clap in time and continue when dialogue is taking place over the song.   Maybe that’s the problem with shows that become tourist attractions in their own right?  Most audiences are there to tick it off their to do in London checklist, rather than because they want to see amazing theatre.  Having said that the buzz of excitement as Circle of Life began and all the animals came into the theatre was something I won’t forget!

Last night I headed to the Curzon Cinema in Chelsea to see the National Theatre’s live streaming of War Horse. I’ve wanted to see War Horse for a long time, however looking to go recently the tickets are not cheap.  So when I spotted that it was being streamed to the cinema, for a much more do-able price, I was in buying my tickets immediately.  I’ve seen a Jamie Cullum gig streamed to a cinema before, which was weird at first but then you get used to it.  This was much the same, at first you’re very conscious you’re watching a theatre through a screen, however once the enchanting and heart-wrenching story of War Horse begins I was completely immersed.   The play is truly incredible; it’s amazing how quickly you forget you’re watching a puppet and feel affection for Joey.  I especially liked how they don’t ever hide the fact that the horses are puppets, the costumes of the puppeteers aren’t particularly hiding them although do match the colours of the horse.  With hardly any set, it really is a treat for the power of the imagination, whatever your age.  I was transported to a variety of locations from scenic Devon to the horror of the trenches through simple props and lighting – and of course the power of the story itself taking you to these locations.

The story is powerful and heart wrenching.  Billy raises Joey from a foal and they build a powerful bond, which we see is unbreakable.  Joey is sold to the Army and the two are split, this play tells the story of the two characters individual war experiences and the ending is so emotional I’m welling up just thinking about it.  It is a beautiful story and left my Mum and I in tears.  As if the performance itself wasn’t special enough, at the end Joey himself entered the cinema! Everyone burst into excited applause; it was a privilege to be there and meet Joey.  I think it may be the closest I’ve ever been to a horse! Everyone was commenting on how real he seemed, and as he walked around the cinema amongst a sea of camera phones and people trying to stroke him, he just showed how extraordinary a creation he is. 

NT Live is a great idea, bringing live theatre to cinemas. However I didn’t like the interval feature, it was behind the scenes videos, showing behind the scenes footage and interviews.  This would be great to see at the end of the show, or a few days later. But seeing this in the middle of the show slightly broke the magic that had been cast over the cinema, particularly as the clips showed parts of the play we had not yet even seen!

I’ve had such a great week seeing these two productions, and next week promises to be just as exciting as I return to see IJAD perform at Vault Festival (a post about this will follow soon!)

Blurred Lines at The Shed - National Theatre

I can't believe it's been 2 months since my last blog post! Oops! For those of you who think I've been slacking, I am excited to say I've been writing theatre reviews for Everything Theatre. Seeing more theatre than I've ever seen and loving it (even the slightly less polished shows .. )  Have a look at http://everything-theatre.co.uk - they have a shiny new website too! But tonight I was back at the theatre independently, and still felt compelled to write this review … enjoy. 

Leaving Blurred Lines I felt a range of emotions. But the main one was anger, anger that in 2014 a play such as this has to exist. Has to highlight and powerfully portray issues so many women have to deal with.  Reading the programme I learnt some horrific statistics about women, some that I already knew such as women still earning on average 15% less than men. What I didn't know however was that domestic abuse causes more death and disability amongst women aged between 16 and 44 than cancer or traffic accidents.

The show is made up of various scenarios women face and comments on these by other cast.  The all women cast are outstanding.  Made up of a few familiar faces, they are all strong and admirable women dedicating just over an hour each night to making sure such an important message is heard.  With the overall message seeming to simply be – this is NOT ok.  Discussing her book, The Equality Illusion (which is now on my reading list), Kat Banyard states that "Gender inequality affects women from the moment they wake up to the minute they go to bed" and a lot of us probably don’t even realise it.

Nick Payne has been my favourite playwright ever since 'Constellations' last year, which still gives me chills when I think about it.  And he proves himself yet again with ‘Blurred Lines’ which he co-created with Carrie Cracknell.  The fact that a man can so eloquently and powerfully create a show about feminism just shows that you don't need to be a woman to be a feminist. You just need to believe in equal rights for women. It's as simple as that!

References to the song Blurred Lines pop up throughout this show, and other modern pop stereotypes are explored with the cast highlighting the inappropriate messages that many modern pop songs send out.  Usually without us realising, yes I am guilty of singing along to Blurred Lines when it came on the radio for the millionth time last year, but I felt uncomfortable seeing some younger members of the audience still dance to the song when it played as we left.  A particularly powerful moment for me was when the cast were singing a generic pop/rap song with explicit lyrics.  The typical dancers dance routine turned into scenes of women being attacked and then back to the dance.  It doesn't take much imagination to see this happening in real music videos.  There were some incredibly intense moments regarding domestic abuse and rape.  A particularly powerful moment was when one character is attacked by a man, she then stops the action as though an actress on a film set.  The crew/actors slowly re-do the scene so that she slowly changes outfits into something more revealing, wearing huge heels.  I don't think I need to explain this any further! 

Although there were references to rape and assault which were uncomfortable to watch, other issues covered included women with families in the workplace, highlighting the more “everyday” effects of sexism.   We see a women being confronted by colleagues, one of whom is also a women.  The confrontation starts by commenting on another colleagues discomfort at seeing baby sick on her back and leads to her being torn apart regarding her commitment to the job.  Comments about other colleagues (male) who manage even though they have three kids slowly wear her down until she rightly stands up for herself.  Although having a family would obviously change your life, the complete disrespect for women who choose both which I've heard of is ridiculous.  There are obviously the Dads who play their part, but the statistics prove this is not the norm - 30,000 women are sacked in the UK each year just for being pregnant.  I still remember the day my English teacher told me that she would always take off her wedding ring before a job interview ... I doubt this is something men have to consider.

I still feel slightly in awe of what I've just seen, despite my anger that gender inequality is still so prevalent in everyday life, this play is another step in the right direction at highlighting the issues and showing we're not going to stand for it.  

The Scottsboro Boys

I booked tickets to see The Scottsboro Boys as soon as I’d read all the rave reviews, and was not at all disappointed.  At two hours long with no interval it could have dragged but with stunning dance routines, amazing vocals and a captivating story I was engrossed from start to finish.

The Scottsboro Boys
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I wasn’t aware of the real life story of the Scottsboro Boys before this show but won’t ever forget it.  For those of you who don’t know, the Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers who were arrested on a train after fights broke out between white and black men.  The teenagers were on their way to find work and start new lives.  They were wrongly accused of raping two white women and this accusation affected the rest of their lives.  The following trials and legal complications lasted years without a happy ending for any of the boys. The Scottsboro Boys Act was only just signed this year by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, posthumously exonerating the last eight Scottsboro Boys (Clarence Norris, the last of the nine to survive, was declared not guilty in 1976).  How nine innocent lives could be destroyed because of one lie, and the judicial systems refusal to accept the truth, is a heart-breaking story but one that needs to be told and this show is an excellent platform.

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The show is presented as though a minstrel show, an uncomfortable format to watch especially considering the fact that four of the freed Scottsboro Boys appeared in minstrel shows themselves in Harlem, New York in 1937.  In the programme it describes how journalists referred to the trials as a minstrel show or describes how the nine boys were paraded around as if in a show. This show has turned the original format of a minstrel show on its head to tell the Scottsboro Boys story, perhaps a risky move however one that adds impact to the show leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. 

Traditionally minstrel shows used white actors to portray African Americans in disrespectful ways but in this show the nine actors who play the Scottsboro Boys also play the parts of white prison guards, sheriffs and judges.  Other elements of minstrel shows that featured were the semicircle of chairs, however in this show the chairs are also used to portray all the buildings and objects in the set including the train, jail cell and courtroom.  At the end the actors “visibly deconstruct this stilted and offensive form of performance”, in the words of director Susan Stroman, they “literally deconstruct that minstrel form and walk away from it”. Spike Lees film ‘Bamboozled’ also tackles the subject of the minstrel show. While studying African American music at University I watched this film and despite watching it over a year ago it still haunts me.  Its premise is similar to that of The Scottsboro Boys, with black actors wearing blackface make up. But this film takes it one step further by creating modern minstrel shows that become a hit. The violence resulting from this and the horrific end of the film is gritty and tough to watch, and I couldn’t help but think of this while watching The Scottsboro Boys.

Mr Tambo and Mr Bones
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 As the show is presented as a form of entertainment, with the traditional minstrel show characters Mr Tambo, Mr Bones (comic prankster characters) and The Interlocuter (the “master of ceremonies”) it could be easy to forget the severity of the story.   However there are some powerful moments. The one that sticks in my mind is a tap dance sequence representing one of the youngest boys, Eugene Williams’ nightmares about the looming threat of the electric chair.  It is an amazing routine, with stunning choreography yet a dark undertone, making me question whether I should be smiling at the impressive performance or grimacing at what it implies.  A particularly powerful moment is when the boys are despairing as to why they are still seen as guilty, even after one of the women who originally accused the boys of rape has retracted her accusation.  Their lawyer shouts “It’s because of the way you look”.  There are so many moments that left an impact with me I could go on for hours, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the show to anyone that wants to go so I’ll leave it at that. 

"Commencing in Chattanooga"

The Scottsboro Boys is a fantastic show that sensitively, occasionally humorously and powerfully tells the story of nine innocent boys whose lives were forever changed, and in turn whose lives and experiences with the U.S. judicial system “helped to inspire and solidify the American Civil Rights Movement”.  It’s shows like this that make me convinced theatre is the most powerful and moving art form out there, truly storytelling at its best.

(All quotes taken from The Scottsboro Boys Programme – Young Vic)

If you'd like to read more reviews I've written head to www.everything-theatre.co.uk