home
|
about
|
news
|
contents
|
gossip
|
photographs
|
venues
|
brighton
|
dublin
|
edinburgh
|
film
|
features
|
interviews
|
awards
|
fashion
|
recipes
|
no more drinks
|
newsletter
|
links
|
contact
Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Stormforce
Verdict: Crass and ridiculous dance disaster
London - Riverside Studios - 11 Oct to 4 Nov 2006 – 19:45 (1:20)
According to the show’s publicity, Stormforce is a 'unique and extraordinary new force in dance spectacle'. It attempts to tell ‘the story of a fight to save Mother Earth from Chaos'. This premise is apparently ‘a metaphor for the impending environmental destruction of our planet'.
Stormforce is truly a dance disaster. The blame cannot lie with the cast – who, unbelievably, manage to inject both energy and enthusiasm - but with the dismal conception, direction and, ultimately, choreography. What was promised as a fusion of Irish and African dance and music, manifests itself as just a lot of primary-school gestures and arm-waving. Claire Lyth’s set smacks of a Disney ice-skating rock concert - with matching sparkle and glitter, woeful costumes, and a giant crystal. It fails to mask this hideous tale.
Mother Earth, with African healer Hewale and Earth Spirits, is here to save the world from destruction. Yeah, right. How this misguided, crass concept ever entered the head of creator and director Rophin Vianney beggars belief. It certainly appears in its execution that it goes beyond Beverley Wright and Gaspard Zamble Die Bi, whose joint choreography demonstrates little more than repetitive, shallow story-telling.
Lighting (designed by Ben Cracknell) dominates the show - and too often blinds the audience, with an over-use of strobe, smoke and steely-blue smog. Michael Conn’s music and Orbital’s sound-scape would be better on radio – their mesmerizing soundtrack is sabotaged by the dire drama.
The saddest aspect of a disastrous evening is that when the Irish and African dancers - all of whom are highly skilled - are allowed to celebrate their individual cultures through their own dance genres, they do so with dynamic and exceptional talent.
It simply isn't good enough to suggest - as the show’s tagline - that ‘if we are to survive, our rhythms must unite’. And definitely not in a ridiculous stage scenario better suited to a GCSE group of dance beginners. Even to them, Stormforce would be an insult.
Cast Credits: (alpha order): Tope Akin. Joseph Appiah Kojo Annan. Gaspard Zamble Die Bi. Ernest Brew. Yaw Cofie. Ciaran Connolly. Siobhan Connolly. Angela O'Connor. Daniel Coogan. Katie Ellis. Liam Patrick Gilligan. Siobhan Hackett. Colum McGuire. Kat Miles. Kirstie Morin. Collette Mullarkey. Ernest Kwame Obeng. Alison Ray. Anne-Marie Reid. Sherriffa.
Company Credits: Creative / Conceived by / Director - Rophin Vianney. Choreography - Beverley Wright & Gaspard Zamble Die Bi. Music by - Michael Conn. Designer - Claire Lyth. Associate Director - Carole Todd. Musical Supervision - Neville Farmer. Lighting Designer - Ben Cracknell. Sound Designer - Sebastian Frost. Sound by - Orbital. Company Manager - Jon Swain.
END
(c) Mike Miller 2006
reviewed Wednesday 25 October 2006 / Riverside Studios
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
