Poignant is an art installation, translation, and interactive re-telling of three stories from Argentina, home country of director and producer Micaela Tettamanti. Each visitor is given headphones and console; assigned a number for use in instructions throughout the event; lined up next to a curtain with the other visitors. This is a show with 'no actors, no stage, no audience'. After a countdown, each visitor simultaneously presses 'play' on their console. A voice instructs everyone to place their right hand on the right shoulder of the person in front, and proceed through a curtain into darkness.

In the pitch-black and empty first room, visitors are led round in circles during the reading of House Taken Over by Julio Cortázar. There's music playing under the narrative - at times it's fraught and disturbing. After a couple of minutes, visitors turn a corner, the box narrows, and it's out into soft light. It's a bedroom decorated in peaches and pinks with a colossal bed which stretches from wall to wall. Pillows are numbered and visitors lie down in allotted spaces. The narrative hasn't paused; a film is projected onto the ceiling. It's a visual representation of the story, but the scenes don't quite match up with the audio. It's hard to tell whether the pictures actually are out of sync or if it's simply supposed to be a very loose interpretation.

At the end of the story, visitors are directed out of a different door and on to the next room. It's floor-to-ceiling astroturf, lit by blue light (which is strange - the eyes find it difficult to adjust), and there are two large screens on opposite walls. Visitors stand to hear the first part of the second story - Over Head Kick by Eduardo Sacheri - and for the second part sit down on a bench. It's a moving if ambiguous piece, and when it ends there's a significantly long pause before moving on to the final room. For the third story - An Elephant Takes Up A Lot Of Space by Elsa Bornemann - the set is a circus big top with a black, iron cage in the middle. It's a children’s allegory (which apparently was banned for many years because of its left-wing undertones) and it is by far the most interactive and thought-provoking section.

Poignant is curious and imaginative. It blends film, theatre and visual art, and challenges the accepted definitions of each. It packs a powerful punch.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Narrators: Marcos Barnaba. Elida de Bianchetti.

Company Credits: Writer (House Taken Over) - Julio Cortazar. Writer (Over Head Kick) - Eduardo Sacheri. Writer (An Elephant Takes Up a Lot of Space) - Elsa Bornemann. Director - Micaela Tettamanti. Music - Federico Marrale. Producer - Micaela Tettamanti. Company - Conejo Negro. Website - www.mtettamanti.com. Website - www.conejonegro2k.com.ar.

END

(c) Letitia Longworth 2010

reviewed Monday 9 August 10 / The Melting Pot, Edinburgh UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com