Big Breath In - A visually breathtaking piece of physical theatre-spectacle for adults and children alike.
Wide eyed wonder and whimsicality fill this performance from beginning to end. A small boy delights in his lovely yellow balloon, prodding, pulling, blowing, dancing and hiding behind it. By unfortunate mishap, his balloon floats away. Miserable, he curls up and falls asleep.
As he sleeps, the first of a strange assortment of characters appears with a suitcase. Upon awakening, the boy discovers the suitcase full of things, the first of which is a pirate ship. He blows the sails, and suddenly the lights dim, the wind howls and a man clad in suspenders and a bow tie, followed by a group of people in bright clothing appear and sweep him into a pirate ship rolling on the sea. The ship of heaving people breaks up on the rocks, casting its crew around the stage into slumber. The boy wakes, and opens the suitcase again.
Each new object drawn from the suitcase sends the boy into another world, reflected in the brightly coloured group, led by the bow tie man. The toy bus inspires a musical number borne out of the sounds of waiting at a bus stop (yawns, feet tapping and the like); the mobile, the portrayal of being inside a game of Snake, for example. The yellow balloon keeps appearing just out of reach – pictures on the newspaper, in the hands of a cleverly presented slumbering giant. The final thing drawn out of the suitcase is a pair of shoes, just like the ones the brightly coloured group are wearing. And with his new shoes on, they help the boy climb in to the sky to get his balloon.
The performance has a refreshing child-like innocence about it, delighting in colours, light, patterns and a fascination with human movement. There is no direct dialogue, with miming, Mr. Bean-esque facial expressions (and the occasional grunt) as the main mode of communication. Certain objects drawn from the suitcase do instigate bursts of song or dialogue (all devised by the ensemble), though never directed between characters. A key aspect of the performance is the person band, who punctuates the action perfectly with wind, string and percussion instruments.
It is an unusual performance which won’t suit all tastes, however for those up for something a bit different it is both interesting and engaging. It is short enough (just over an hour) that it will likely keep younger children entertained throughout.
Wide eyed wonder and whimsicality fill this performance from beginning to end. A small boy delights in his lovely yellow balloon, prodding, pulling, blowing, dancing and hiding behind it. By unfortunate mishap, his balloon floats away. Miserable, he curls up and falls asleep.
As he sleeps, the first of a strange assortment of characters appears with a suitcase. Upon awakening, the boy discovers the suitcase full of things, the first of which is a pirate ship. He blows the sails, and suddenly the lights dim, the wind howls and a man clad in suspenders and a bow tie, followed by a group of people in bright clothing appear and sweep him into a pirate ship rolling on the sea. The ship of heaving people breaks up on the rocks, casting its crew around the stage into slumber. The boy wakes, and opens the suitcase again.
Each new object drawn from the suitcase sends the boy into another world, reflected in the brightly coloured group, led by the bow tie man. The toy bus inspires a musical number borne out of the sounds of waiting at a bus stop (yawns, feet tapping and the like); the mobile, the portrayal of being inside a game of Snake, for example. The yellow balloon keeps appearing just out of reach – pictures on the newspaper, in the hands of a cleverly presented slumbering giant. The final thing drawn out of the suitcase is a pair of shoes, just like the ones the brightly coloured group are wearing. And with his new shoes on, they help the boy climb in to the sky to get his balloon.
The performance has a refreshing child-like innocence about it, delighting in colours, light, patterns and a fascination with human movement. There is no direct dialogue, with miming, Mr. Bean-esque facial expressions (and the occasional grunt) as the main mode of communication. Certain objects drawn from the suitcase do instigate bursts of song or dialogue (all devised by the ensemble), though never directed between characters. A key aspect of the performance is the person band, who punctuates the action perfectly with wind, string and percussion instruments.
It is an unusual performance which won’t suit all tastes, however for those up for something a bit different it is both interesting and engaging. It is short enough (just over an hour) that it will likely keep younger children entertained throughout.