Shadowland

Shadowland
Devised, choreographed and directed by Pilobolus and their creative team. Arts Centre Melbourne. 28th May - 1st June (two shows Saturday and Sunday). NZ and other states to follow.

The long awaited opening night of Shadowland proved that there is still a child in each of us willing to believe in magic. The standing ovation, five curtain calls and encore proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. But was all the Hoopla deserved? Yes, all that and more.

Pilobolus is not a high tech company, and therein lies half of the magic and the charm. There are a series of screens of varying sizes with ample space on either side for us to see the dancers exit and enter the screen area. And yet, seeing six dancers run behind a screen in no way prepares you for the spectacular sea horse that appears on screen. If we saw at close quarters how the dancers arrange themselves, it would still be magic, because it’s happening in front of our eyes and totally convincing us. Two tiny crabs walk across the sleeping body of a girl and we believe they are crabs. It’s this suspension of disbelief which is all that is needed for the audience to become part of the magic themselves…..so we believe in the elephant, the giant who takes our heroine’s head and replaces it with that of a dog, the jellyfish who saves her life…every illusion becomes an alternative reality to the audience.

The story, which owes much to Alice in Wonderland, concerns an adolescent girl, denied freedom by her parents, who melds into her shadow while dreaming and enters a world of fantastic creatures where she is transformed into a dog-girl, almost drowns, falls for another misfit…a brilliantly realised Centaur… until she is finally restored and returned to her bed. The shadow play itself is spectacular and totally engrossing. However, the actual dancing surpasses the magic on the screen. Since Pilobolus was formed by untrained dancers all those years ago, I had not expected the stunning level of dance we were treated to in this production. All local contemporary choreographers should see these dancers at work. Pilobolus is a collaborative ensemble, so no-one is credited with the choreography, much of which is exquisite.

Lauren Yalango, who plays the lead character, seems to be suspended in air, as she glides her way across the male dancers, or is moved in some stunning lifts between them. She is simply exquisite. And her portrayal (behind the screens) of Dog Girl is quite wonderful. The simple romance between Dog Girl and the Centaur is breath-taking when it segues into “live” action. Time and space don’t allow me to list the entire company, but it works as a single entity, without weakness anywhere. Yalango could not appear as brilliant as she does without every single member of the company supporting her. They are a superlative example of ensemble work, and I am in awe. Clearly they work in the pursuit of excellence…and it shows.

David Poe’s original score and songs are integral to the success of the show and gorgeous enough to warrant a soundtrack CD, and Neil Patel’s set design is perfect, avoiding the super-slick to add elements of our childhood shadow-play. I couldn’t find a credit for the lighting design, but it, too, is excellent. Even the encore….specially tailored for each city, is a wonderful joyous thing. The only weakness for me, and it’s a small niggle, is the storytelling itself. It seemed too trite and without enough narrative for us to make an emotional investment in the lead character. Perhaps if there had been more conflict with the parents in the beginning, the girl would have had a greater journey to realising, subtly, “there’s no place like home.” Having said that, writer Steven Banks is not big on subtext, as Spongebob Squarepants will attest. It’s a disappointment only because the rest of the production is so superb. There are only a few days in Melbourne to see this amazing production – at least those of you in other states have time to prepare your inner child for the experience.

Coral Drouyn

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