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Theatre listings > Devised and performed by - Lindsey Butcher (UK), Vincent Dance Theatre's Artistic Associate TC Howard (UK), Geir Hytten (Norway), Patrycja Kujawska (Poland), Aurora Lubos(Poland), and Janusz Orlik(Poland). Director - Charlotte Vincent. Designer - Richard Lowdon. Costume - Amanda Griffin. Lighting Designer - James Harrison. Sound Track - John Avery with The Magic Wurlitzer, Johann Sebastian Bach and Frederic Chopin. Company - Vincent Dance Theatre. Dancers - here . Tour Dates and Times - here . Seen to review at Traverse Theatre Edinburgh on 13 November 2004. Run Time - 1 hours 40 mins no Interval . Reviewer - Thelma Good . For lovers of live perfomance.
The set suggests the stage and wings of a theatre that is running down. In silence a tall but faded fan dancer, Patrycja Kujawska, tries to find a better way to enter through the gauze white curtains, it's clear she's seen better days. Then a pair of squabbling tiny women appear leaping, scrabbling like mice about the stage, one blond, wide eyed and comic, Aurora Lubos the other dark, more muscular and feisty TC Howard. An enigmatic man, Geir Hytten, observes. Then when he intervenes it's clear he has a abusive nature, hurling Kujawska so that when stripping music starts to be played on the Wurlitzer Kujawska's dancer, though she appears to be in charge of the other dancers their employer possibly, it's clear he has some control of her. As she strips, it's a relief when she finds the courage to stop. Arriving via one of the circus ropes is a basque wearing arielist, Lindsey Butcher, her skill of moving suspended in the air balletic and amazing. The movement and characterisation by each of the cast is premiere cru as they dance solos, duos and ensemble pieces. But most breathtaking of all is Janusz Orlik who towards the begining dances like a female balletic swan, his arms so precise and eloquent. Then later, clad in a singlet and tight subtly flowered pants Orlik dances with immense grace, his long legs and finely crafted movement releasing a wholly convincing female soul. From Charlotte Vincent's direction and the dancers' devising we find many funny moments - showering in a tin bath, wings falling off a ballerina, musical chairs to conventionally recorded Bach and the whole company's ensemble dance routine to Mr Sandman and Avalon on the Wurlitzer. When the dancers go to the more classical techiniques the absence of the normal tutus and tights reveal how much the classical ballet owes to gentlemen and woman wanting to see the erotic nature of the human form concealed in the clothing of high culture. Punch Drunk lasts an hour and forty minutes with no interval and contains within it dance, theatre, beauty, cruelty, superb artistic acrobatics, elements of performance art all served up by a company of artists at the top of their game. © Thelma Good 13 November 2004. - Published on EdinburghGuide.com Cast: Lindsey Butcher (UK), TC Howard (UK), Geir Hytten (Norway), Patrycja Kujawska (Poland), Aurora Lubos(Poland), and Janusz Orlik(Poland). Tour Details of J Theatre's production of Play . Tour begins 8 & 9 Oct at Lancaster Nuffield Theatre 0800 028 3042. 12 Oct at Wolverhampton Arena Theatre 01902 321 321. 15 & 16 Oct at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 0114 249 6000. 19 Oct at Nottingham Lakeside Arts Centre 0115 846 7777. 20 Oct at Tonbridge Wells Tonbridge School 01732 361 908. 23 Oct at Leeds Riley Theatre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance 0113 219 3018. 27 Oct at Colchester Mercury Theatre 01206 573 948. 29 Oct at Stanwix Arts Theatre, Cumbria 01228 534 664. 8 & 9 Nov at Exeter Phoenix 01392 667 080. 11 Nov at Trowbridge Arc Theatre 01225 756 376 / 766 241. 13 Nov at Edinburgh Traverse Theatr 0131 228104. Tour ends
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