OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness, 28 April 2009

Kally Lloyd-Jones as the Countess in Les Amoureux (photo - Lynne Connor)

BASED ON Angela Carter’s The Lady of The House of Love, Company Chordelia’s Les Amoureux combined elements of dance, music, theatre and opera in a nightmarish fairytale of sumptuous red velvet and decaying lace.

Heavily laden with Romanticism, the soundtrack included music by Chopin, Gorogkovich & Rhobotkova, Glass, Bartok, Massenet, Faure, Duparc and Butterworth, which at times threatened to drown out the spoken word and song in French and English.

Solo Baritone Damien Thantrey as the soldier had presence, but like many elements in this work, stood alone rather than being part of a strong, coherent theatrical statement. Choreography by Kally Lloyd Jones was at times clumsy and repetitive, particularly in relation to her central role as the countess. We understand in less than a minute that she is undead, a vampire, and the lengthy exposition between her and Linda Duncan McLaughlin as The Keeper seemed unnecessary and laboured.

The detail carried in a sequence of well defined movement gives us all the information we need about a character and can be a pure agent of expression on its own. The production seemed to smother itself self-consciously in staging at the expense of real expression through movement, complexity of character or narrative.

Whilst thin plots are a balletic tradition, it is possible in contemporary dance productions to have real exploration of character or theme together with sumptuous staging. The multiple layers in this production were primarily scenic and the overall pace uneven. Perhaps in the hands of a different Choreographer/ Director a greater balance could have been struck between artistry and ideas.

Design by Tom Rodgers and costuming by Claire Donnelly and Alexandra Kharibian enhanced the Gothic fantasy of the piece with attention to detail a hallmark of the production. From the moment the audience entered the theatre the stage was set for a dream-like experience; rows of trees like gallows lined the stage, adorned with an assortment of faded lace, wind chimes, angelic dolls, birdcages, strung tarot cards and flickering lamps.

Grahame Carter’s Lighting Design, particularly in relation to moments of transformation in the work were particularly effective. The moment when the two forms of the soldier and countess are illuminated before a vibrant red curtain, their motion slowed completely was an example of design and movement coming together to heightened theatrical effect.

There were sequences that worked well, such as the combination of Amelia Cardwell and Freya Jeffs as the two shadows, a sinister pair of minions clad in suited fur. A combination of human, animal and otherworldliness, their tandem movements were convincing and their forays into the audience an added element of unease.

The premise of the story; the endless thirst, the turn of the tarot card and the meeting of the two lovers could have been seeds for a more interesting and polished production, especially in terms of choreography. Whilst Les Amoureux is an imaginative piece of theatre as a piece of contemporary dance it lacks power, pace and cohesion.

© Georgina Coburn, 2009

Links

• Company Chordelia
• Eden Court Theatre