The evening consisted of two pieces both performed by solo women with very little words but some music and plenty of physicality. The first was about a woman and a bed and the second a woman and a chair. The idea was to explore these women’s past through their interactions and manipulations of the large physical every day objects. As an average theatre-goer it seems to me that an audience watching mime is desperate to laugh. They need to be drawn in and then surprised. Combining amusement and pathos is a key to a stimulating show.

The first piece was created and performed by Tiffany Soirat. She interacted using mime and dance with a large piece of cloth or sheet. She managed to engage the audience with her very brave and endearing directness. She also moved very well and conveyed a true vulnerability. There were some powerful moments for example when she forced herself onto the sheet with a slap. However, it was supposed to be an “exploration of a woman’s dreams, relationships of her deepest and most private of selves”. I didn’t get any of that. I am afraid it was neither great dance nor mime. It did seem like a second year student piece not yet fully formed. Hopefully in time Tiffany Soirat will be able to grow from this to create something more engaging. ★★★☆☆

La Causeuse was as truly “darkly comic and poignant” as it was supposed to be. Olivia Lathuilliere had also created her piece on her own but she obviously understood her form. She started with a very amusing conceit using a ticket to find her seat and eventually finding her large armchair in the middle of the stage. She then built a relationship with this chair, which got stronger and stronger through out the piece until eventually the complete stuffing is knocked out of the chair or perhaps of her!  There were magical moments such as when she disappeared through the back of the chair, or when the audience were convinced she was behind the chair and then she appeared from the side of the stage. She danced with a disembodied hand and showed a rich relationship with this single prop. It was amusing, quirky and at the same time touching and although somewhat enigmatic, it was clear that the performer knew exactly what she was doing and how the audience would react. She combined the humour that the audience is looking for with changes of pace and atmosphere that brought to the “performance without words” the imagination and depth of the best live theatre.    ★★★★☆

Keith Erskine     3^rd February 2017