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Theatre review: Crossing Points, West Yorkshire Playhouse
AFTER Reflections – a sublime start to the new stage of Phoenix’s evolution – comes this mixed bill which is just a little disappointing.
One of the pieces previously seen, Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe No Maybe, makes a welcome return here, reminding us why we loved such a playful, clever and captivating piece of theatre in the first place. It turned out to be the highlight of the night.
A close second, however, was SoundClash. A new piece by choreographer Kwesi Johnson which, amid a fantastically ingenious set, showcased some frenetic dance which really does reflect the obvious theme of sound waves. It also made for a suitable conclusion to the collection.
The opener, Catch, was a little more challenging and obtuse but delivered some really gutsy choreography. Inspired by Magritte’s famous painting, The Son of Man, choreographer Ana Lujan Sanchez premiered a creation which had a less obvious meaning and yet held your attention throughout.
Least successful was Signal, created in 2003 by Henri Oguike. This was just a little too obvious, revelling a little too much in the Eastern culture suggested by a soundtrack dominated by Japanese Taiko drums.
But, throughout, what was heartening was observing the tight team of dancers which now represents Leeds-based Phoenix, a more welcome collection of varied but equally talented performers.
New boy Glenn Graham stands out, as does Phil Sanger, Josh Wille and Ryu Suzuki. Azzurra Ardovini is fast becoming the star of most of the company’s shows, however. But, most importantly, there are no weak links among the dancers.
Unfortunately mixed bills like this show that there can be weak links in their choice of works. A pity, since stronger pieces offer a greater platform for Phoenix to prove their superiority.
Crossing Points is performed at Barnsley Civic Theatre on March 8.
Rod McPhee
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