Contents page Home page Hugh Chapman Archives Venues Archives PresentReviewers
Photo courtesy of Punch Drunk Punchdrunk FAUST
Punchdrunk's Faust invites us to don identical white Venetian masks and roam over 5 floors of a disused factory in Wapping, becoming anonymous voyeurs of a smouldering tale of desire and immorality. With action played out in two, 90-minute loops and taking place everywhere simultaneously, you are as likely to be asked to dance in a High School Walpurgis bop as to come across old Faust muttering to himself in his study, to be charmed by the popcorn-girl in a cinema screening Touch of Evil as to witness the seduction of Gretchen in a seedy 1950's American bar. So don't go expecting a faithful rendering of Goethe's narrative - Faust pt.1 is really a pretext for the creation of immersive installation theatre on a vast scale. And Punchdrunk have succeeded masterfully well in converting this huge site into an atmospheric maze of locales. Drawing on Edward Hopper, David Lynch and Orson Welles' Touch of Evil for inspiration, Felix Barratt's artistic direction creates a seamy taste of 50's America, reflected in Tina Bicat's period costume. Robin Harvey's supreme attention to the details of the set deserves mention – the smell of mothballs tells a story all of its own! Matt Prentice's dusky lighting and Steven Dobbie's viscerally affecting sound conspire to create the intoxicating mood of the show. In this extravagant set, the onus is on you to chase down the action, a task that can be frustrating at times. One way to ensure that you're never out of the picture is to follow a single character through the space. But perhaps the major achievement of this show is the sheer density of riches it contains. Even exploring at your own pace, you're sure to come across some of the action sooner or later, and perhaps even to witness a scene that no one else knows is happening. The performances, too, rise to the challenge of filling the space. Vinicius Salles, in particular, brings a terrific energy and dynamism to Mephistopheles - a charismatic devil indeed! Movement and expression take precedence over dialogue, allowing the charged eroticism of Maxine Doyle's choreography to take centre stage. The acrobatic skills and physical commitment of the cast were, for me, the highlight of the show. What is perhaps lacking is an artistic vision capable of making sense of all the theatrical delight on offer here. At one of the show's climactic moments, as the cinematic soundtrack accompanying the performers' astonishing acrobatic feats pushed the atmosphere to thrilling intensity, I was strangely confronted with the excess of spectacle on display. There are moments of frustration, too, when those inclined to reflection might ponder the value of the purely spectacular. But most will have no difficulty in abandoning such high-minded scruples when faced with the sensory delight this show offers. The immediacy of chasing a character through a forest of pine trees doesn't allow you the time to reflect – and this is when Punchdrunk's concept works best. I can't imagine any other production finding this much life in Goethe's Faust, and it is worth seeing if only for that reason. A word of advice – a strong pair of shoes and warm clothing are essential!
21 Wapping Lane , London E1W 2RH BOOKING TUES - SAT TO 30 DECEMBER, CONTINUING FROM 9 JANUARY 2007- March 2007 (No performances Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Bar open until midnight Fri & Sat. TICKETS: 020 7452 3000 Contents page Home page Hugh Chapman Archives
|
