Gravity and Other Myths et al in Civic Square

March 8, 2008 at 7:30 pm | Posted in Show Review | 3 Comments
Tags: Big Rig, Circus Aerials, Contemporary Dance, Contortionist, Entertainment, Fire Juggling, Footnote, Fused Production, Gravity, Rope, Swinging Trapeze, Tissu, Wellington Civic Square

I went to Fused Productions’ 2008 version of “Gravity and Other Myths” at Civic Square. The permanent fixture suspended above the Square, a sphere composed of silver ferns, added to the atmosphere.

Mar 08, 2008 by Show_Hanger

Gravity and Other Myths: 2008

The main act was an evolutionary step from Fused’s 2007 work of the same name. Footnote opened the evening’s entertainment and I was disappointed – less on this later. A stand-up comedian then warmed-up the crowd for the main act: Vinyl Blank.

Vinyl had to really work, to get the crowd onside and generally relaxed. To his credit, I think he did a good workman like job. He struggled a bit to get to grips with the audience, but he got there. His sense of humour did not always sit well with everyone – there was wide range of ages in the audience; but when he started working circus moves in, the timeless ageless magic brought everyone together. He had some good diablo moves. How many people can unicycle and play the guitar !

Fused’s Big Rig was set up so that the audience was under the silver sphere or could see it over the venue – a constant reminder of ‘gravity’. Fused were up to their usual high standards: spectacular aerial work on tissu, hoop, rope and swining trapeze; and some nice hoops, juggling, strength and flexibility work on the ground. The girl-in-a-box was back too !

Fused have tweaked their work from last year and made general enhancements across the board. For me the most spectacular change is that placement of two performers on the swinging trapeze. Only one of which have a safety harness! I am told by those in the know that having two harness would actually decrease safety – as the harness ropes get tangled up. It certainly added a real wow factor. The man on a burning rope was the finale – boy it is spectatcular.

This year, things were a little more polished: there was slightly more ‘acting’ and stronger portrail of the ‘aliens studying gravity and other phenomena’ theme. Full marks for working the tricks into a theme.

Fused need to pay a little bit more attention to their surroundings: some of the fire juggling, hoop throwing and girl-in-a-box was hard to see if you were not sitting on the steps or at the front. While a stage maybe impractical, if these acts could have raised up, they would have been more visible. Maybe a temporary platform that can be worked into the theme. Fused have an entertaining product, and they need ensure that they show it off at its best.

Footnote opened, and they have made no significant advances since they air-ed their piece last month at the Fringe Festival. I am still waiting for the mature dance&aerial work – with a smooth integration of aerial elements into the general story telling or concept. Where the use of aerial moves is used because it is the best move in the toolkit to advance the story; not look I learnt this trick, and this other trick. At the moment it is a modern dance piece immediately followed by a display of aerial skills. What ever was going on in the dance portion – beaches, swimming ? – was not supported by the aerial portion.

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