Presented by Company Chordelia in association with the Byre Theatre and Luminate
Review by Aislinn McSharry
Company Chordelia’s Revel, showcased at The Studio Theatre for just one night, is a comedic, yet tender exploration of the sustaining love of dance, and how artists explore their aging bodies.
Janis Hart’s design settles the audience in a theatre’s dressing room, littered with glamourous dresses and indications of lifelong commitment to the stage, a preface to the colourful and characterful friendship between Kally and Steinvör, shown as they prepare for performance.
Revel parodies aging, from humorously stiff pre-show yoga routines to dryly-delivered lengthy health-related checklists, with a warmth and light-heartedness that is beautifully enriched through physical theatre and dance sequences.
The central (and presumably somewhat biographical) dynamic between Kally Lloyd–Jones and Steinvör Palsson is a treasure: their bubbly and energetic performances enthral, a highlight being the farcical destruction of Barbie Dolls, an emotional outcry at aging limbs.
Utter artistic prowess shone in Kally’s gorgeous red shoes sequence: lamenting a foot injury, her physical performance is electric with raw emotion, a cathartic and powerful mourning process.
Although dance sequences coloured-in the play’s deeper thematic elements, the script ultimately fell short of this emotional breadth, despite being an expertly comical piece. Revel is both portrait of aging dancers and love letter to performers of all ages, a theatrical imprint of an unconditional love between performer and stage. Charismatic and engaging, it is an enjoyable theatrical experience.
An Emotional Outcry
Revel was performed at The Studio, Edinburgh, on September 26th
Running time: Fifty-five minutes without interval
Photo credit – Viktoria Begg
Review by Aislinn McSharry (contact@corrblimey.uk)
