Dance Review
Bounce Insane in the Brain
Photo by Hakan Larsson
A street dance version of
Peacock Theatre 27 Feb - 16 Mar 2008
A review bySimon Clancy for EXTRA! EXTRA!
Ken Kesey’s classic novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is perfect fodder for the stage. It is, after all, at once a humourous and tragic tale of human expression when confronted by a strict set of behavioural constraints – or, as cynical show-business types will tell you (Who? Me?), an ideal blueprint for meaningful live performance. But that’s where street-dance theatre group Bounce acrobatically steps in (Sorry – couldn’t resist!) Brimming with high-octane hip hop and an often pleasingly retro soundtrack, their version, Insane in the Brain, twists Kesey’s original story of a psychiatric institution’s inner workings into an unlikely feast of dramatic dance action, featuring some eye-popping bungee-jumping, fluid break dancing and, at times, heart-stopping expressive movement.
As in both Kesey’s book and the Dale Wasserman stage play, Insane in the Brain centres on the influence new resident Mr McMurphy (Fredrik ‘Benke’ Rydman) has on the inhibited inhabitants of what appears to be a typical psychiatric nursing home. Childlike yet tormented, amongst others, its residents include: Billy Bibbit (David Dalmo), a stuttering young man haunted by dehabilitating Freudian issues; and Chief Bromden (Ryan Chappell), a mute who is, fittingly for a show that applies communicative dance movements, without the use of his legs. Running the rule over the hospital is strict Head Nurse Mildred Ratched (Teneisha Bonner), along with two orderlies played by black actors Joe Jobe and Eilmon Michael, who in turn bully and coerce the inmates to varying degrees of malice. In this case, it is important to mention the actors’ skin colour, as it is used as a visual tool by the company to highlight Kesey’s recurring fascination with black resentment towards whites of a certain era, along with the role race sometimes plays in creating divisions. Aside from such subtle visual indicators, what is perhaps most impressive about Bounce’s production, however, is just how well Kesey’s story stands up considering how few words are uttered and, indeed, how dance, nuanced gestures, and subtle movements are used to drive the narrative instead. The show’s cast performs remarkably well, too, and somehow re-energise a familiar tale for a brand new generation. In fact, it is a production of such thrilling high quality that it is tough to highlight any particular performance, though Ambra Succi as Mrs Taber/Candy and Jennie Widegren’s Miss Martini appear to edge the inevitable best mover-and-shaker contest. I also particularly enjoyed the contrasting robotic movements of the hospital staff with those of the eccentric patients, while highlights included the opening number, which saw the cast adorn double-sided masks, as well as the gravity-defying bungee-jumping segment. If the show has a weakness, it is, somewhat predictably, the one dialogue scene. For a show so expressive by other means, this section seems entirely out of place and serves no real purpose that could not have been managed by other means. I was also slightly disappointed the company decided to leave out McMurphy’s basketball coaching sequence and felt the importance of Chief Bromden’s character was a little understated. On the whole, though, Insane in the Brain is a tremendous, enthralling show that you’ll want to return to from curtain-down. And in an era where ballroom dancing seems to dominate popular culture, it proves that dance is at its best when cut loose.
Photo by Hakan Larsson
Peacock Theatre
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