Critical Week: A fellow of infinite jest

It's been another busy week in the screening rooms, with a mix of current releases and awards contenders. One of the best was Elsinore, which stars Andrew Scott as actor Ian Charleson preparing to perform Hamlet at the National Theatre in 1989 while grappling with the effects of Aids. It's a powerfully involving film, and Scott is terrific. Robert Pattinson plays journalist Chris Hansen in Primetime, which chronicles his TV series To Catch a Predator. The subject matter is intense, but the film has a superbly unhinged energy that forces us to think more deeply.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Devils • Queen at Sea
Gentle Monster • Primetime
Everest: The Other Side
ALL REVIEWS >

Meanwhile, there was also the sunny and very goofy British comedy Blueberry Inn, starring Jack Davenport. The Indonesian prison thriller Ghost in the Cell is inventively packed with bonkers humour and nasty horror. And there were three docs: Making Marie Antoinette goes behind the scenes on Sofia Coppola's 2006 classic, directed with a personal eye by Sofia's mum Eleanor. Taking in both the majestic filmography and messy private life, Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean is an entertaining slice of movie history. And Nuisance Bear skilfully uses an engaging polar bear to explore the legacy of commercialism and colonialism in Canada. I also attended a live performance of Pia at Milton Concert Hall.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Nicholas Galitzine in The Mosquito Bowl, Channing Tatum in Josephine, Chris Rock's Misty Green, Japanese sequel Godzilla Minus Zero, Czech thriller Manipulation, Mexican comedy-drama The Divine Tragedy, horror icon doc Barbara Forever, Ava DuVernay's doc 14th and a live performance of Germán Cornejo's Tango After Dark.

Dance: Adventures in space

Pia
director-choreographer Katya Bourvis
performers Sonia Marie Dvorak, Sirena Tocco, Janet Amsden, Christian Michael Tworzyanski, Tala Lee-Turton, Benji Knapper, Phoebe Higgins, Zac Priestley
music Hannah Peel • dramaturg Tala Lee-Turton
voice artists Dan Moore, John Parkin
musicians Zone One Brass • costumes Katherine Watt
lighting Jackie Shemesh • sound Andrew Morgan
Milton Court Concert Hall, London • 23.Oct.26 ★★★

Commissioned by the Barbican and Barnsley Civic, this ambitious new dance piece takes a fantastical journey through a woman's life, tackling big issues like memory, imagination and dreams. It is packed with dazzling sequences that catch the eye and ear in powerfully resonant ways, as the skilled performers evoke a range of emotions. That said, it's impossible to escape the feeling that this is also a rather indulgent show in need of some editing.

From Barnsley, Pia is continuously on-stage at three ages: as an older woman (Janet Amsden) dealing with memory loss, in vibrant middle age (Sirena Tocco) sorting through souvenirs and as a young dancer (Sonia Marie Dvorak) performing with an ensemble. Katya Bourvis' complex choreography depicts scenes that include simple everyday realities, issues surrounding her life in a mining community and larger earth-shattering events. And dancer-writer Tala Lee-Turton forms this into a lovely non-linear narrative.

Through all of this, Pia's creativity emerges in colourful flights of fancy as she becomes fascinated by space travel, ultimately seeing herself as an astronaut visiting the stars. All of this coalesces into a gorgeous portrait packed with elements that we can vividly identify with, from yearning to pain to celebration. Accompanying this is a live 17-piece brass band playing music inspired by Hannah Peel's record Mary Casio: Journey to Cassiopeia, with added flourishes from the themes for Star Trek, Barbarella, Dr Who and 2001: A Space Odyssey, plus Tainted Love and snippets from a 1980 Arthur Scargill speech.

The excellent dancers perform the precise, intricate and eye-catching choreo as a mix of classical ballet and expressive modern movement. Dressed in eclectic costumes, their physical strength and stamina is impressive, as are the beautiful shapes they form all the way through the show. There's a memorable duet for Dvorak and Christian Michael Tworzyanski, performed without music to an ambient soundscape. And the seriously gifted Benji Knapper has a series of stunning solos.

Throughout this performance, there were some lighting issues that left performers in shadows. And the ending feels oddly anticlimactic, as it continues through a series of codas (one of which is oddly inert) following what felt like a satisfying finale. But the show is packed with meaning, balancing aching grief, soaring romance and joyously funny moments. And the dancing has a wonderfully weightless quality that lingers.

For information, KATYA BOURVIS >

photos by Foteini Christofilopoulou, workshop photos by Camilla Greenwell,
artwork by Hannah Brewerton • 23.Oct.26

Dance: A message from Mother Earth

Dickson Mbi Company
Tellus
by Dickson Mbi & Nick Drake
composer-choreographer Dickson Mbi
performers Hannah Joseph, Harvey Burke-Hamilton, Kenny Wing Tao Ho, Rose Sall Sao, Monique Jonas, Jonadette Carpio, Nathan Goodman, Siyu Lu, Moses Ward, Fukiko Takase, Robert Dunkley-Gyimah
musicians Lara Aisha Ali, Meera Priyanka Raja, Toril Azzalini-Machecler
costumes Debbie Duru • set Ruby Law
lighting Lee Curran • sound Tony Gayle
video art Yeast Culture
Sadler's Wells East, Stratford • 21-24.Oct.26 ★★★★

With his distinctive visceral choreography and music, Dickson Mbi continues to explore his Cameroonian heritage with this strikingly epic folk tale drawn from the myth of Mami Wata, the source of life and love, and also destruction. Its lavish visuals and thumping rhythms speak directly to our bodies, pulling us into the emotions of the piece. And cleverly integrated video projection gives the show a powerfully effective kick.

The narrative follows a young man (Harvey Burke-Hamilton) through an odyssey into the predicament of his parched village, which is dying off due to drought. He is taken through the veil between the living and the dead by Mother Earth (Hannah Joseph), who guides him on a journey to heal the land. The energy grows beautifully over the course of the show, as three on-stage musicians appear in the background playing flute, cello and percussion in an increasingly insistent style that matches the dancers' impressive physicality.

Full-bodied movement intensifies from the austere opening section through a series of transitions that are marked by shifts in lighting and the skilful use of a string curtain at the back of the stage. This creates several breathtaking moments, combining with the expressive mix of modern and classical dance, eclectic-earthy music and a soundscape that features whispering and breathing. And when performers begin to interact with images projected onto both the curtain and a scrim, the effect becomes dazzling.

Through all of this, Mbi's inventive choreography challenges the dancers to use physical strength and endurance, evoking a wide range of emotions. There's a particularly lovely section in which four pairs move around the stage with the women leading and lifting the men. Other moments feature crawling, swaying and energetic bouncing, with arms and hands extended into the air. It's a punchy piece that culminates in a vivid catharsis, celebrating the fact that the earth will heal itself whether or not we do our part.

For details, SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by RULA • 21.Oct.26

Critical Week: A warm hug

The 70th London Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday evening, and I'll be catching up with movies I missed over the next few months, including Elsinore, A Long Winter, Godzilla Minus Zero, Artificial, Tender Loving Care, the list goes on a bit. Meanwhile, Jordan Firstman's filmmaking debut Club Kid became my favourite film of the fest. It's an unusually engaging film with huge emotional resonance. Firstman and newcomer Reggie Absalom also deliver knock-out performances. As does Julianne Moore in Jesse Eisenberg's comedy The Debut, a riotous odyssey set in a community theatre run by a wonderful Paul Giamatti. Clio Barnard creates an astonishing camaraderie amongst the ensemble cast of the lively drama I See Building Fall Like Lightning. And Harvey Zielinski's superbly written and played Australian drama Sweet Milk Lake was a terrific discovery.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Possible Love
Wildwood • Fatherland
ALL REVIEWS >

Away from the festival, I saw Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie, Ali G: Who Iz I?, which uses the Borat/Bruno style to coax people into revealing their darkest impulses. It's pointed and important, but the connecting plot is very silly. Then there was the first-person action thriller Bad Day at the Office starring John Hannah and Radha Mitchell. It's nonstop chaos, and a little exhausting due to the shaky-cam perspective. I also caught an early screening of The Asscher Cut: A Timeless Legacy, a beautiful and remarkably detailed look at the diamond industry over the past two centuries. And it was fun to revisit Ken Russell's astonishing masterpiece The Devils on the big screen, now with censored scenes restored. Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave are unforgettable in this outrageous, pointed historical romp. There was also a live performance of Tellus at Sadler's Wells East.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Andrew Scott in Elsinore, Jack Davenport in Blueberry Inn, Indonesian horror Ghost in the Cell, behind-the-scenes doc Making Marie Antoinette, David Lean doc Maverick and polar bear doc Nuisance Bear, plus live performances of Pia at the Guildhall School and Motionhouse's Hidden at Sadler's Wells.

Dance: Hope and pain

Ballet Black at 25
artistic director Cassa Pancho
performers Acaoã de Castro, Megan Chiu, Isabela Coracy, Taraja Hudson, Mikayla Isaacs, Love Kotiya, Bhungane Mehlomakulu, Helga Paris-Morales, Elijah Peterkin, Ebony Thomas
music Bill Laurance, Peter Johnson, Mthuthuzeli November
costumes Jessica Cabassa, Yann Seabra
lighting David Plater
Sadler's Wells, London • 14-17.Oct.26 ★★★★

Marking its 25th anniversary, Ballet Black brings a thrilling double bill to Sadler's Wells, featuring a new commission and an award-winning ballet that was commissioned 2019. These are distinctive pieces, performed by an ensemble of 10 skilled dancers to evoke strong emotions. Because the first piece is so celebratory, it might have been a better note to end on. But it's impossible to deny the power of the night's final scenes.

Choreographer Hope Boykin opens the show with ...All Towards Hope and a flood of spoken words, written and voiced by Boykin herself, that sounds like a motivational speech. Basically, it's a challenge to stand together against whatever is causing pain so that we can move closer to hope. The movement is expansive and engaging, a modern spin on classical ballet with dancers clad in loose, draping costumes in red, orange and brown. Finally, the words stop and music begins, allowing us to more properly lock into the emotional resonance of the piece as the musical style and lighting change in a variety of scenes separated by black-outs.

All of this is visually mesmerising, with eye-catching shapes and a mix of solos, duets and group elements that play on the performers' personal charisma, allowing them to interact with the audience in moments that are either soulful or light-hearted. The piece is strongest when the movement flows and shifts to a variety of musical cues, creating a weightless feeling as the dancers run, stretch and spin, echoing each other with jubilance. It's a terrific display of how individual talent and personality emerge from a larger group dynamic. And it's utterly joyful, even in its quieter or more rhythmic sections.

The second half is Mthuthuzeli November's Ingoma, which was inspired by Gerard Sekoto's 1947 painting Song of the Pick, depicting South African mine workers. It has a darker, more narrative structure as the dancers are playing miners and their wives, reflecting hard work, family life and faith, as well as oppression and violence. The choreography is earthy and beautifully grounded, with a tactile precision as the dancers convey deep emotions through their astonishing physicality.

It's a strikingly involving piece, dazzling to the eyes even as it touches on some very dark feelings. The choreography involves considerable strength and control. Men dance with intense energy that features muscly gestures, big lifts and a tight sense of camaraderie. And the women also have a vivid bond, displaying both a sense of yearning and driving intentionality. The men and women mix in fascinating ways, sometimes in a call and response. So scenes involving protests are sparky, while the solos are astonishingly expressive from lead couple Ebony Thomas and Isabela Coracy, as well as soloists Megan Chiu and Mikayla Isaacs. The humane ending leaves us moved and thoughtful.

For details, SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by ASH • 14.Oct.26

Critical Week: Practice makes perfect

The 70th London Film Festival continues to play at venues around the city, and I caught up with four more films this week. Yes, I'm taking it a bit easy this year, simply for my mental health. That said, I've already seen 25 films, with more to come (reviews are linked HERE). It was especially fun to meet Pedro Pascal at the screening of Behemoth, a superbly delicate drama about a cellist working through his past. At the reception I also chatted with two of his seriously gifted collaborators on the film: writer-director Tony Gilroy and costar Eva Victor. Speaking of receptions, I got to chat with the talented cast and directors of both La Bola Negra (my favourite film so far this year, out this week in the US) and Possible Love (another fave) at Netflix's annual LFF brunch.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
La Bola Negra • Naza
Forgotten Island • Case 137
Musk • Hadestown: The Musical
ALL REVIEWS >

I also had a great chat with Incredibles director Brad Bird, then immediately headed to a screening of his newest movie Ray Gunn, a beautifully animated retro-futuristic noir mystery. After that, there was screening of Laika's magnificent stop-motion epic Wildwood, attended by director Travis Knight, voice actors Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay and great cinematographer Caleb Deschanel. The film is unmissable! And Sandra Huller gives yet another astonishingly nuanced performance in Pawel Pawlikowski's gorgeous Fatherland, a father-daughter road movie set in Germany just after the war. 

Outside the festival, I saw the frenetic action thriller Street Fighter, starring Noah Centineo, David Dastmalchian and a Hulked-up Jason Momoa. It's loud and chaotic, and very troubling thematically. But gamers might enjoy it. There were also live performances of the unauthorised parody Heated Rivalry and the celebratory dance Ballet Black at 25, plus a visit to the Design Museum to preview Laika's Wildwood Exhibition (see below).

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Julianne Moore in LFF's closing night film The Debut, the comic book thriller Clayface, Clio Barnard's I See Building Fall Like Lightning, John Hannah in Bad Day at the Office, Australian drama Sweet Milk Lake, the restored version of Ken Russell's The Devils on the big screen and a live performance of Tellus at Sadler's Wells East.

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Stage: Slap that puck

Heated Rivalry
The Unauthorized Musical Parody 
writer-composer Dylan Marcaurele
director Alan Kliffer
with Zheng Xi Yong, Joseph Dann, Andrew Berlin, Sylvie Stenson, May Tether
choreography Brooke Engen & Tiffany Engen
set Sully Ross • costumes Brendan McCann
lighting Devin Cameron
Underbelly Soho, London • 7.Oct-1.Nov.26 ★★★★

Running at a brisk 75 minutes, this hugely entertaining musical pastiche is packed with soaring songs and riotously naughty innuendo. Amusingly recounting the plot of the TV series, the show plays on how Heated Rivalry is "a story for women, written by a woman, about gay guys with big butts". And right up front, they admit that they only made this show to tide us over until season 2 arrives next year.

Tracing the plot faithfully, we meet rising-star Canadian hockey player Shane (Zheng Xi Yong), who is the league's first draft pick until Russian rival Ilya (Joseph Dann) steals his thunder. Both are closeted, and also smitten by each other. They keep their casual affair a secret while playing up their tough-guy rivalry in public. Then they begin to actually fall in love. Cut to a second romance between coffee shop clerk Kip (Andrew Berlin) and hockey star Scott (played by a diva plucked from the audience).

The plot continues through Shane and Ilya's breakup, a serious injury and relationships with their respective beards (May Tether and Sylvie Stenson) before they reconnect on a dance floor to the thumping strains of tATu. All of this is skilfully written with witty visual jokes and a verbal playfulness that runs through both their angry insults and confessions of undying love. It's a nonstop barrage of hilarious gags, both tiny details and big dramatic beats, plus a few sexy moments involving puppets. And each superb number is a massive power ballad performed at full-tilt by the up-for-it cast.

Inventive staging uses simple but effective sets and costumes that help us keep track of the wide range characters who are sharply well-played by Stenson, Tether and the scene-stealing Berlin. And Yong and Dann are seriously engaging leads as well as gifted singers with belting voices. So by the time Ilya finally caves in and proclaims, "I'm coming to the cottage," even someone unfamiliar with the series will be unable to suppress a massive sigh. This is an almost outrageously enjoyable production that is gleefully suggestive, rude and also very smart.

For details, HEATED RIVALRY >  

photos by Matt Crockett • 13.Oct.26