Friday 17 April 2009

The Simplicity of Suspension.


To the Lyric Hammersmith this evening for the press night of Theatre Rites and Ockham's Razor's new show Hang On - a beautifully tender and well crafted piece of work for children and adults who have not lost their sense of wonder.


Occam's razor is a philosophical principle stating that the explanation of any phenomenon should eliminate all assumptions not deemed necessary. In short it's a homage to simplicity, economy and means seeing everything with fresh eyes.


And that's what this show does, mixing the practical exploration of scientific principles with a simple acceptance of human emotion and relationships.


Three aerialists physically play with the possibilities for climbing, balancing and hanging on a huge mobile made up of gigantic coat hangers suspended from the roof. Meanwhile anxiety riddled Eric rushes around the stage stressing out that the structure hasn't been tested and that imminent disaster will occur if the climbers don't return to earth. Stephano, a juggler, falls for Tina, swinging high above his head, but, unsure of her response, can't find the courage to talk to her. Suspension is breathtaking, scary and fun; both a physical and emotional reality. Our own Tina's designs sit absolutely within the ethos of the work, bringing clarity and colour to the narrative.


Kindness permeates everything and gentle permission is offered at every turn. Permission to explore, to play, to climb, to worry, to care. It's one of the most heart warming, child centred pieces of work I've seen this year.

No comments: