|
Chotto Desh
DanceXchange
Patrick Centre,
Birmingham Hippodrome
*****
IN ANY production, there are elements
that audiences think upon in order render it an exceptional experience.
Akram Khan’s biographical piece brings together
wonderful theatrical entities to create a story that touches and uplifts
every audience member.
It is a typical family
show, adapted from Khan’s original solo piece entitled
Desh and
reaches out with its heart-felt story with a stunning backdrop and
stunning talent from the solo performer.
Chotto Desh
means small town and is the biographical story of Akram Khan, the
artistic director of the company. In this beautifully stunning piece,
Khan tells the story of growing up in London as a young boy, yearning to
dance.
It is funny, hopeful and extremely inspiring in
its delivery, but what makes Khan’s show so memorable takes place via
the personal relationships shown between himself and his Bangladeshi
father.
The piece is driven by one performer. Dancer
Dennis Alamanos tells the story through Khan’s intricate and creative
choreography. Alamanos plays Khan himself, portraying the part of a
hopeful youngster with a hunger to dance.
He also portrays the role of Khan’s father,
showing his Bangladeshi background and hardworking ethic. In Alamanos’
performance, we see the conflict between artistic creativity and the
pressure of having a ‘real’ job.
The story is beautifully told and immediately
easy to follow. At the beginning, we hear Khan’s mother and Father in a
soothing voiceover, allowing the audience to see Khan’s reactions to
their words. Khan then beautifully inhabits both worlds of the
generations, showing what it is like in London and in Bangladesh.
The essence of the story shows Khan’s need as a
child to have a somewhat unconventional career and the company reflect
this in the cleverest of ways. In the middle of the piece, we see
Alamanos as Khan think about what it must have been like for his father
living in Bangladesh, and we are transported to this world.
Khan’s father is represented by Alamanos painting
a face on his shaven head and leads to a beautiful sequence to represent
the daily routine of Bangladeshi life. He dances as his head is bowed
and the new mask is alluring and interesting. This convention, coupled
with the most intricate movements is fantastically convincing and it is
easy to think that he is a completely different performer.
Alamanos is a fantastic actor as well as dancer,
which is the reason why we are so drawn to Khan’s touching story. His
performance alone is enough to make the show perfectly enticing, but the
company have added a beautiful secret that makes this show all the more
spectacular. This is in the form of the most excellent visual design by
Tim Yip.
Within the piece, we hear a childhood story told
by his mother. It is set out using the intricate and awe-inspiring
animated projection at the back of the space. The audience not only get
a beautiful live performance from Alamandos’ wonderful dance, but his
story comes alive against the backdrop of the stunning art.
The beautiful animation comes out of the blue and
surprises the audience with its captivating story. It is visually
remarkable, which raises the bar of the already stellar production.
Khan is a beautiful storyteller and with his
company, they know exactly how to portray an uplifting and happy tale to
audiences of every age and background. Alamandos captures the essence of
Khan’s childlike wonder and portrays the authority of his father at the
same time. Every element of the production is married together to create
a beautiful and deeply personal story. The production is a treat for the
eyes and talks to the soul. Khan and all involved should be honoured to
be a part of a production that is a true delight for audiences. To
30-01-16
Elizabeth Halpin
29-01-16
|
