TOGETHER

“TOGETHER is a performance about two men. Men between walls. Two men trying to get on. Trying to be cheerful. Trying to be kind. Going for the jugular. Trying to leave; finding it difficult to stay. Two men trying to live, by suspect means.”
Peter (Fraser) is bald. Tom (Davies) has a beard. Both share an obvious affection for the other – either they were friends before their confinement or they have been there a long time. We don’t know why they are confined, or where. Are they imprisoned? Trapped? Holding some kind of strange, prolonged protest?
To pass the time they discuss their health, philosophy, the afterlife, Facebook. Circular conversations focus on ‘letting go’ and how or when to say thank you. They amuse each other through physical mimicry and invention. Music is an important tool, encouraging imagination, games, and rituals.
The confined space in which they live heightens everything. Emotions and movements are larger than life – frequently with humorous effect. Language also spans an enlarged continuum, from explosive profanities to simple sounds or silence.
Communication has moved beyond language for Tom and Pete as they relate physically to both each other and the space around them. Their movements are short, sharp, violent, gentle, explosive, and simple. Nothing is out of the ordinary – these men have already seen everything.
Travis Hodgson’s lighting design (operated by Alexandra Pryor) framed the space beautifully with simplicity and minimal colour. This is theatre for enjoying, without the inconvenience of thinking.
Ian Nisbet