Theatre is a shared experience, so what better place to explore the things that worry and concern us – the things we worry will isolate us beyond the point of no return? A double bill from Matthew William Robinson and Melanie Lane, Frontiers / Gorwelion is a heady, thought-provoking evening of dance, asking what it means to be human in hard times.
While Lane’s Skinners explores who we are now that we must balance our identity between the digital and the real, Robinson’s August – his final show as National Dance Company Wales’ artistic director – is about sunsets, and the points of ending in our life: an enrapturing and heartfelt exploration of grief and the search for connection. Beginning with a dancer watching the sunset, the piece explores the dusks of our lives, offering snapshots of people attempting to connect and disconnect, the mental landscapes we occupy as we attempt to process difficult emotions, and the way we change as our worlds change.
Much of this was expertly expressed through Emma Jones’ excellent lighting design – a bar of light, such a simple piece of equipment, turns the stage into so many spaces, both physical and psychological. Robinson’s expressive movement style and focus on floorwork really shines in this piece, allowing the dancers to show the desperation and intimacy that comes with difficult emotional periods in our lives. Faye Tan and Mario Manara, in particular, shine throughout the piece – their solos and duets expressing raw emotion, as heart-wrenching as it is awe-inspiring.
In comparison, I found Skinners a little disappointing. There’s nothing wrong with the quality of the choreography or dancing, but conceptually, it feels a little stale. The dancers wear white dresses with PS2-style character clothing printed on the front, and much of the first half of the piece sees them moving around like non-playable characters in video games. While I understand the concept they were trying to go for (the company’s description says, “We use filters to blur reality and avatars that disguise our identities”), the result might have been groundbreaking in 2002, less so in 2024.
When, in the second half of the piece, the dancers begin shedding their ‘avatars’ to become human, this has the airs of a would-be-powerful moment. In the event, they resemble the villagers from early-00s game Age Of Mythology, which makes this shedding seem less meaningful – as if they’d finished playing dress-up. As I say, much of the choreography is beautiful, with the work’s second half more expressive and fluid, but the concept comes across as underdeveloped.
Overall, though, National Dance Company Wales delivers its usual high standard. One of the benefits of having an in-house dance company is an expectation of reliability – you can trust they will work well together – and here, the dancers are incredibly good. If you are looking for a night of thought-provoking art, Frontiers / Gorwelion offers that, and with this being Matthew William Robinson’s final production with the company, it’s one to see.
Frontiers / Gorwelion, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Thurs 19 Sept.
Touring to Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon (Wed 16 Oct); Theatr Hafren, Newtown (Sat 26); Pontio, Bangor (Wed 6 Nov); Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Wed 20 Nov). Info: here
words HARI BERROW
