Theatr Iolo |
| Theatr Iolo- Are We There Yet? , Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff , July 25, 2003 |
| It's not often you see a show designed for a tiny audience, although there was the story recently of the smallest theatre in the world, performed inside a customised motorcycle sidecar. But this really is tiny - in every sense. The numbers are limited to 15. And each member of the audience is very small. Nursery-school age, in fact. If you thought that the under-fives were too young for theatre, think again. Theatr Iolo's latest production has toured nursery schools with a slice of imaginative drama that offers the authentic theatrical experience. The storyline is simple: Dad, Connie and George are going somewhere. Connie wants to wear a pretty dress over her dungarees, Dad wants her to eat an apple. Connie wants to play, Dad wants her to sleep. And so on. The title is a question every parent will recognise - but it's also at the heart of theatre, from Greek tragedy to postmodernist performance by way of Chekhov. Connie's journey is generally navigated by just the odd word - cabbage, mushroom, suitcase, elephant - unconnected words that in script form must have looked like the first draft of an absurdist play, except for a moment when she covers Dad with a blue blanket and tells us the story of the Big Blue Mountain. En route her experiences are those of the everyday world that drama heightens: she plays, eats, speaks, listens, moves, feels, interacts (activities that can be explored once the show's over thanks to a neat workpack). She uses her fingers to be someone walking over the mountain, uses her mouth to make musical noises and, as with all children, every part of her body seems energised - the very mobile and expressive Anna Joseph is a joy to watch. Emyr John's Dad is well, a Dad, firm but loving. No hint here of familial dysfunction - just a pared-down, bourgeois, carefree life. I liked particularly the bluegrass fiddle music, played by Oliver Wilson-Dickson (and composed by Matthew Bailey and him) as if the instrument were his true voice. It's all good fun - but underneath director Sarah Argent and the company have gone back to the roots of drama as mimesis and ritual and explored a recognisable world of lived experience, albeit idealised. Are We There Yet? does what any art does, it helps us make sense of our world. The little ones sitting on the floor were obviously utterly engrossed in this deceptively simple narrative, expressing audience reaction in everything from squeals of delight to open-mouthed fascination. This Norwegian Church gig was a special performance for adults as well as children - and what a good idea it was, too. Where else do you get a reception that has wine and olives as well as squash and angel cakes? Are We There Yet? can be seen at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff on Saturday 22nd November |
Reviewed by: David Adams |
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