Fringe dance and physical theatre reviews: Il canto dell’assiolo | Up: Violin vs Football + more
Choreography rooted in hip-hop ensures nothing is lost in translation in a performance about the challenges of romantic love, while a clash between sport and classical music is full of virtuoso movement, find our critics in their latest round-up
Il canto dell’assiolo ★ ★ ★ ★
Dance Base (Venue 22) until 30 August
Watching Claudia Latini and Giovanni Leonarduzzi tangle and tussle across the floor, two main questions spring to mind. Firstly, what are they saying? Their Italian dialogue is impassioned and emotive, matching the movement as it bounces between tenderness and torment. It’s intriguing, rather than frustrating, to be kept in the dark – and reading a translation afterwards (having scanned a QR code on the way in) there are no big surprises.
The language is stripped back and contradictory, with words and short phrases recanted or repeated to meet their mood: “I miss you”, “Go away”, “I love you”, “I hate you”. Meanwhile the choreography runs the full gamut of emotion, from full-on desire depicted by sensuous strokes, to anger and confusion illustrated by rough and tumble.
Which leads to the second question that crosses your mind while watching – should this couple stay together? Their love and passion is undeniable, but the borderline-aggression in their movement suggests it might be time to say goodbye.
Compagnia Bellanda’s work is rooted in hip-hop, the discipline both dancers started in, and there are obvious elements of that here. But the choreography reflects their maturity and although still highly physical and athletic, a more contemporary dance style adds nuance to the storytelling. As they speak, microphones pick up the dialogue and reverberate it back in a soft echo, bringing the past into the present, and capturing the notion of circular arguments.
Checking the translated script afterwards, it transpires the duet closes with “We couldn’t have loved more” and eventually “It wasn’t enough”. A poignant end to an intense work that cuts deep into the challenges of romantic love, from staying playful and accepting each other’s foibles to knowing when to call it quits. Kelly Apter
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Up: Violin vs Football ★ ★ ★ ★
French Institute (Venue 168) until 27 August
If a violin player and freestyle footballer pooling their talents seems like a strange concept, this engaging 40-minute show is here to prove otherwise. On the surface, Gabriel Majou and Paul Molina have little in common, but within minutes the connection is clear. Both are virtuosos in their field, having spent hour upon hour each day for years honing their craft.
Majou gets the ball rolling, as it were, using a loop pedal and amplifier as a foundation for the music he’s about to play (all composed by him). He bows, bats and plucks the strings with purpose, but there’s nothing unusual about his playing style. That is, until Molina arrives with his football and the sparks of collaboration start to fly.
One of the highest ranking freestyle footballers in France, Molina’s deftness with the ball is truly impressive. Whether he’s balancing it on the side of his head, twirling it around his legs at speed, catching it on his back, or laying down to ‘peddle’ it on the bottom of his feet, he is in complete control. Not for one second do you worry that he’ll, literally or metaphorically, drop the ball. So far, so good, but not quite enough to make a show.
Which is where Fouad Boussouf comes in, director of the Le Phare choreographic centre in Normandy. An accomplished dancemaker, and football fan, Boussouf has taken the individual gift of each man and fused them together. As Molina dribbles the ball around the stage, there is an artistry to his sport. While Majou, for his part, rarely stops moving, maneuvering his violin into a variety of positions as he plays. Initially attempting to outdo each other, by the end, the duo simply respect each other’s skill - as do we. Kelly Apter
If I Can't Dance I'm Not Coming ★ ★ ★
Dance Base (Venue 22) until 27 August
Like many silent films of the era, Fritz Lang’s 1927 work Metropolis isn’t known for its subtlety. It is, however, seen as a landmark in cinematic history and full of motion – so it’s not hard to see why choreographer Karl Jay-Lewin and composer Matteo Fargion were drawn to it.
In some ways, the process used to create If I Can't Dance I'm Not Coming is more interesting than the end result. Jay-Lewin co-conceived and directed the piece, but favoured a ‘democratic creative process’, whereby the eight dancers delivering it were responsible for the choreography. So while there’s no real emotional through-line to hook us in, there’s an ever-changing mélange of movement.
Walking briskly out from the wings, the dancers arrive in ones, twos and threes, sometimes building to the full ensemble, each section depicting a different part of the film. Their overly-anguished facial expressions, and quirky angular twists and jolts are not without humour, and Fargion’s String Quartet No.5 is enjoyable throughout.
Trying to grasp something meaningful if you’re unfamiliar with Metropolis may prove challenging, however, and the overall feel is more of watching a fun workshop than a performance. Kelly Apter
M.I.S. All Night Long ★ ★ ★
ZOO Southside (Venue 82) until 30 August
Fringe-goers can always rely on the Danish showcase – the official programme of work from Denmark-based artists – for some weird and wonderful shows. Take this supremely silly show from Aarhus-based physical theatre company and festival regulars Don Gnu, for example, which blends circus, cinema and slapstick into something uniquely, bafflingly fun.
It is the third show in their Men In Sandals trilogy (that’s the M.I.S. of the title) and it involves three performers (playful company founders Jannik Elkær and Kristoffer Louis Andrup Pedersen, plus the bullish Petras Lisauskas, all silent save for a few shouts) doing a lot of goofy business with a large plank and three big balls. They squabble on a seesaw.
They bounce off each other. They get the audience to beat out a rhythm for them to dance to. Videos by Christoffer Brekner (a slo-mo advert for socks, a woman singing something in Spanish, a sunlit cowboy scene) are projected onto a wooden screen. Composer Alice Carreri supplies a catchy electronic score.
As circus, it is deft but not exactly dazzling stuff. As drama, could it be trying to say something about masculinity in the modern world? Maybe? Who knows? Who cares, though? Its arch, oddball energy is entertaining enough to sustain this welcome slice of Scandinavian silliness. Fergus Morgan
Maiden | Mother | Whore ★ ★ ★
Dance Base (Venue 22) until 30 August
A huge amount of thought has been poured into this multimedia work by Edinburgh-based Theiyā Arts Dance Collective. The result of a meaningful collaboration with the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society at The University of Edinburgh, Maiden | Mother | Whore, as the name suggests, looks at the various roles women are cast in.
Before a single step has been danced, word spoken or note played, we’re invited onto the stage to peruse a small exhibition of postcards. Read the comments from previous audience members, or write our own, it’s up to us. There are also interesting articles about the impact of patriarchy (on men and women) and other pertinent subjects, awaiting us on each seat. It’s all thought-provoking stuff, but somehow doesn’t quite translate to the action on stage.
The performance itself, a beautiful blend of live music, song and South Asian dance (both classical and contemporary), is hugely enjoyable. An acted scene where four friends explore means of support could be tighter, and the overall research and learning struggles to find its way into the body of the show. But the cast’s commitment to this powerful topic shines through in every aspect. Kelly Apter
Ham Sandwiches and Discipline ★ ★
Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17) until 31 August
This energetic deep dive into Gaelic Football by Ireland’s NAF Dance will resonate with those who know and love the game, and give everyone else a whistle-stop tour. The simplistic choreography and largely under-written narrative evoke an end-of-term show feel, but three well-crafted scenes hint at the company’s true potential.
Game footage projected onto a bare torso captures the bodily investment of the players; audio of two pundits bemoaning the modern game is cleverly puppeted by hand gestures; and a post-match interview with both the winners and losers is written and performed with sharp wit. The rest, sadly, feels throwaway by comparison. Kelly Apter
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