I last saw Nina Bambrey performing high up in the trees of beautiful Prior Park in Bath in a magical Whispering Woods production of The Boy Who Grew Wings. One of my enduring memories of her performance was the ease with which she fearlessly defied gravity, swinging from, and winding herself in coloured cloth hanging from the highest Norway maple tree, at jaw-dropping heights. But there was much more to enjoy than her sheer physical bravado. Bambrey clearly likes to seek out narratives that pull us closer to our environment and to rediscover magic in the everyday.
StarFlower is Whispering Woods’ new show – this time featuring Bambrey and her creative performance partner Rory Bennett, who explore a dreamlike journey, a compassionate shared adventure, using aerial acrobatics, circus, dance and puppetry within a theatre environment.
It was heartening to see that the company have built up a loyal following, especially amongst the very young in the audience, who were transfixed by what they saw at the Redgrave last night.
With a completely blacked out stage the trappings of Bambrey’s art became the stage set – a simple ceiling to floor spotlit drape leading to a swirl of cloth at its base.
At some twenty feet above the stage with no safety net, Bambrey never looked anything but self-assured as she glissandoed down the fabric or swung back up into new poses made possible by her clever loopings of cloth. Spotlit in yellow, pink and blue lights, she shimmered above us while trance-like music filled the space. Bennett then joined her in dance, enhancing the spectacle with impressive, powerful lifts, and a puppetry sequence.
The choice of background music always enhanced the action, none more so than Agnes Obel’s haunting Dorian – a drifting, spectral song that mirrored StarFlower’s theme of two people searching for a path.
A change of mood, heralded by a sharp drumroll, featured a fight sequence with a large suspended ring before the two embraced in a loving, slow tango. Finally, held high up by a rope, Bambrey, twisted down in a cloud of white confetti to a life-affirming finale.
All too short at 45 minutes (we wanted more!), it was clear from Bennett’s and Bambrey’s heaving torsos at the final curtain that the spells they had cast over us were the result of enormous physical effort. The performers remained on stage to encourage feedback and comment and were engulfed by a sea of young faces. ★★★★☆ Simon Bishop 13th January 2019
