UK Theatre Network

Flying Music, Robert Jolley and Michael Boersma present The Les 7 Doigts de la Main production of

Traces

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 8^th February 2010.

The show features five young people occupying a makeshift shelter from an unspecified impending disaster that lurks outside. In the belief that creativity is the antidote to destruction, the characters aim to make the most of what little time is left by using various means of expression to leave behind some traces of themselves. They tell their stories through a variety of genres which includes speech, music, dancing and breath taking acrobatics.  As their stories unfold the audience gains an insight into the performers’ real lives.

The performers are five young French-Canadian artistes; Antoine Auger, Antoine Carabinier-Lepine, Genevieve Morin, Philip Rosenberg and Jonathan Causaubon, who were all students of Montreal’s National Circus School. They have a wide range of performing experience and skills honed in circus schools and companies worldwide.

Featuring a pulsating soundtrack throughout, which ranges from rock ‘n’ roll to blues to hip hop, this production mixes acrobatics with theatre, urban and contemporary dance styles, skateboarding and basketball.

The acrobatics are amazing, they balance on each other’s heads, leap up high poles without using their hands and fly through hoops. I particularly enjoyed the incredible performance of the acrobat using the large metal hoop.

Early in the show they introduce themselves individually by name, using a suspended microphone, together with three keywords which define them. This is followed by an amusing sketch where they swing the microphone calling out a name or keyword as it passes. Later in the first half of the show they take turns playing a piano which sounds remarkably good, particularly since it has been given the appearance of having been made from scraps of wood roughly cobbled together.  An old box serves as a piano stool. One of the group also plays guitar and performs a song. There is some basketball and skateboarding.

After the interval the pace of the show speeds up with the exhilarating acrobatics. Whilst I enjoyed the show I think the first half could be improved by being a little sharper in places. There were times I found myself more interested in the soundtrack than what was happening on stage. However the second half was brilliant. This is an innovative show that is worth seeing.

It is perhaps a sign of the times that world class acrobatics does not constitute a show in its own right. This show has clearly taken circus skills and made something more out of them but what really excites me is the show this is going to be in a few more years’ time because I believe it is still evolving.

Traces plays Milton Keynes Theatre from Monday 8^th February to Wednesday 10^th February 2010. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee).

The tour then continues playing Alhambra Theatre Bradford from Thursday 11th February to Saturday 13th February.

www.miltonkeynestheatre.com www.flyingmusic.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 8^th February 2010 on behalf of Catherine Brian.