James Thierree: Raoul
‘James Thierree’ is an irritatingly talented performer whom tonight I witnessed bounding around the Barbican Theatre with an elasticity and gracefulness comparable to that of an Olympic gymnast… or maybe even Spiderman?
The Barbicans website describes the show as presenting ‘a world which is at once recognisable and yet utterly alien’ – Recognisable! Ok, maybe to those audience members who’ve taken Acid on a trip to Alton Towers… But I certainly had never seen a giant fabric catfish before tonight.
For me, the world Thierree has created is one that is completely unrecognisable, and that’s what makes the show worth seeing. It’s difficult to categorise, but for now think ‘physical dance comedy’ with some ‘circus acrobatics’ thrown in to the melting pot.
We are presented with the character ‘Raoul’, a man whose life appears to have no definite direction… But don’t read too much into this, It’s not necessary. The production is one of pure spectacle; illusion and acrobatics fusing at times astonishingly to create a hallucinogenic world of constant transformation. Are we on top of a mountain? I’m not entirely sure… does it matter where we are? I didn’t think so. The ambiguity as to who this man is or what his purpose may or may not be is the beauty of Thierree’s latest production.
The set throughout is complex and impressive. Large pieces of white fabric hanging on thin wires flying in, out, up, down and around… Large scaffolding providing ‘Raoul’s’ shelter often toppling and contorting adding to a constantly growing surrealist aesthetic…
At times I found ‘Raoul’s’ antics frustrating. The performance midway I felt was beginning to lag and I began to lose interest. However, my attention was rescued in the final thirty or so minutes. One moment in particular being Thierree attaching himself to a pivoting contraption via a harness, allowing him to appear weightless, giving the audience the impression that he was actually flying around the stage…
Throughout, I couldn’t help but admire Thierree’s stamina. Performing a show as energetic and physically demanding as this every single night for eleven consecutive shows is an admirable feat.
If you like Dance or Surrealism and want to see something original this year, then I highly recommend this…
The shows run ends very soon… so be quick.
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