Wednesday, 28 October 2015

Review: Shhh! at Newcastle Dance City




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Shhh! – C-12 Dance Theatre
Newcastle Dance City
28th October 2015

On a dark damp afternoon in Newcastle the electric atmosphere was building up as the C-12 Dance Theatre company were about to entertain a packed house. As part of the Juice Festival there had been earlier workshops and these had clearly been effective in drawing the large young audience. Anything that helps draw younger people towards live entertainment has to be a good thing.

Shhh! is based in a library. There are seemingly 3 themes: a love of books; a love of people and a need for communities to retain their facilities.  Each of the five dancers starts with a musical theme as they go about enjoying their books. For example classical, jazz, modern electronic dance, classical guitar or rock music is used to represent their personality. The young crowd could be heard laughing as the previously quiet library shook to the rock guitar riffs and a dancer strutted her stuff around the bookcases.

When the library closure arrives and the tone of the production changes. The few props on stage find themselves involved in the routines.

What stands out is the apparently effortless way in which the cast perform challenging manoeuvres.  They make the business of flinging themselves around the stage seem simple when it must have taken years of training plus a real trust in their fellow performers.

The soundtrack helps to carry both the emotion and the story and Jamie Salisbury has managed to weave the individual themes well.

Shhh! succeeds in being an inclusive show that appeals to both the younger members of the audience and the older people that brought them to the show.

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for the North East Theatre Guide from Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo


Cast:
Reece Causton
Alice Laidler
Hayley Chilvers
Kimberley Clarke
Ashley Hind

Creatives:
Concept and choreography by Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster
Projection by Arnim Friess,
Original music composition by award winning Jamie Salisbury
Executive Producer Adam Towndrow of Welwyn Garden City. Shhh! is produced by C-12 Dance Theatre, ARC, Stockton, Hawthorne Theatre, funded by Arts Council, Hawthorne Theatre, ARC, Stockton and C-12 Dance Theatre, additional support from The Albany and Dance Digital.

Shhh! Rehearsal images taken by Charlotte Levy

On The Web:

Read the North East Theatre Guide preview of the Autumn 2015 Season at Newcastle’s Dance City Theatre: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/preview-of-autumn-2015-season-at.html


 

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