THE Catalan acrobatic company dazzled
crowds of both strangers and theatre goers with their contribution to
the BE festival with Collage.
The company posed a wonderful celebration of
European performance art. It screamed loud and proud of who The Bot
Project are and reflected perfectly as to what the BE Festival is – a
space for theatre and performance throughout Europe to be unified and
touched by art.
It was fascinating and equally delighting to see
The Bot Project being performed outdoors. Centenary Square was buzzing
with excitement and it was interesting to see passers-by stop and look
at the exhilarating performance being provided.
The performance itself was a fantastic piece of
acrobatic theatre. The set consisted of a trampoline and an
approximately three metre high platform. With the addition of music and
an excited audience, Collage was treat for the eyes.
Performers Amaya Minguez, Angel de Miguel and
Lucas Juan Ruiz held the audience in wonder from start to finish. Their
characters were perfectly defined which added to the comical narrative.
Miguel and Ruiz showed incredible skill on the trampoline performing a
never ending sequence of acrobatic skill. Minguez acted as a harsh
director, making them perform bigger and better tricks as the
performance went on.
Their skill of trampolining was truly
entertaining and the audience spurred on the company with constant
cheers and applause. The platform was a particular highlight as we saw
the performers leap up and jump down with incredible precision and a
great sense of showmanship.
Collage was a wonderful start to the second night
of BE Festival and excited and inspired audiences ready for the rest of
the evening activities.
Acrophobia - Liv & Toby
Liv Knoche and Tobias Willasch are a German duo
who specialise in circus performance and trapeze. Their tender and
spectacular piece was Acrophobia and touched the audience in many ways.
Liv & Toby impressed the Studio Theatre audience
with their daring trapeze skills and a sweet narrative. Their set
contained a single rope and trapeze hanging from the rafters for their
performance. This was all they needed as their routine was enough to
inspire and touch the hearts of everyone.
In a beautiful sequence of trapeze work, Liv &
Toby entwined their bodies and displayed a natural strength. They had no
dialogue in this performance as the music of London Orchestra’s ‘Exodus’
reflected the beauty of their physicality from above.
In a stunning and extremely impressive
performance lasting no longer than Twenty minutes, the couple told their
story in the most touching of ways. Knoche played a vulnerable girl,
finding it impossible to overcome a fear of heights within her. With the
help of Willasch, the fear is dissolved and an empowering force is seen.
This was an incredibly inspiring performance and
with the touching, playful style of Liv & Toby, was a beautiful
contribution filling the Studio with a wave of happiness.
Translating Lola - Margo Van De Linde
Margo Van De Linde presented an interesting
concept with her performance of Translating Lola. Highlighting the
universal theme of sexuality and the sex industry, Translating Lola was
made as a way to document her experience and talk to others about the
importance of womanhood.
Translating Lola integrates language and culture
in a unique way. Van De Linde speaks in English, while her partner on
stage, Aurora Chacon, performs in Spanish. Their communication and
relationship on stage was a thought-provoking account of the universal
language of womanhood.
Even though neither could speak the other’s
language, they were united by one topic, Van De Linde’s interest in the
sexuality of women and Chacon’s experience of being a prostitute in The
Netherlands.
Their translator was Augustina Muoz who relayed
what one said to the other and helped the audience to understand the
narrative of the piece. This concept struck the audience as we watched
an intense and emotionally charged relationship unfold between the two
women. Their encounter was not influenced by language, but what lies
underneath. They delicately showed the raw emotions of what happens when
people are touched by something deeper and can connect in a much more
natural and tender way.
Van De Linde was very brave to give the audience
much of herself – the performance came from her personal experience and
highlighted a deep need to relay everyone her strong and passionate
feelings. Van De Linde is a master of creating an intimacy between
performer and audience within her work. A moment of this was shown when
she demonstrated her burlesque talents with us, leaving the audience
with a tempting song with a beautiful voice, to exonerate her frank
opinions of culture, womanhood and sex.
ialise in circus performance and trapeze. Their tender and
spectacular piece was Acrophobia and touched the audience in many ways.
ld speak the other’s
language, they were united by one topic, Van De Linde’s interest in the
sexuality of women and Chacon’s experience of being a prostitute in The
Netherlands.