Date: Friday 13th May

Venue: TS2

Reviewer: Josie Lovick

A trend seems to be emerging so far this T3. Audiences are no longer allowed to enter a performance space, sit twiddling their thumbs and contemplate the set, but are instead greeted with the cast the moment they sit down before the main action ensues. In the case of Body Languages you certainly couldn’t sit twiddling your thumbs without being picked up on it!

Body Languages was described as a ‘physical theatre piece which explores the ways in which the body communicates beyond the boundaries of speech’. The piece reflected our, as humans, most subtle ways of communicating and also the use of our bodies at their most exaggerated to attract attention. The piece began and ending with the cast copying the audience’s every move, a strange experience to say the least as we realised how many movements we make even when we think we are sitting still. The show then moved between short sequences on themes including love, families, student life and current affairs. The piece at times lacked a clear through line, but each section was unique and entertaining in its own way with the performers offering a very impressive range of movements and excellent ensemble work.

One of my favourite moments of the piece was a dance trio on falling in and out of love. The dance began with what could be interpreted as a classic film scene, two lovers sitting on a bench inching closer and closer together. Credit should be given here to the wonderful choreography of this section, with the dancers using intimate proxemics and flowing movements contrasted with sharp dynamics and a quick pace. This made for a beautiful sequence that reflected perfectly the turmoil and comfort of relationship without the need for words.

Body 1

Coming into the piece expecting it to be entirely movement based due to the nature of the content, it was a little jarring to be presented with some scenes that relied quite heavily on dialogue. However, the main attraction of the performer’s body language still shone through. This was particularly amusing in the family dinner table scene, with an entertaining contrast between the clam collected gestures of the family above the table, and the sibling rivalry beneath the table with kicking of legs and prodding of toes.

With the short amount of time given to develop and the create the piece (the challenge for us all in T3), the whole cast excelled in ensemble work which created for the audience a real sense of unity and team work, with only a couple of small timing issues. The broad range of situations covered I am sure left the audience questioning how they move and react to each other in their lives, whether it be in the que to Unit 1, our dining rooms at home or how we represent ourselves to others. The cast also grandly reiterated how much of a bigot Donald Trump is, so extra points for that.