November 7, 2011
Mind Walking, performed by the Brighton-based group BandBazi was easily the best production I have seen all year.
It centres around Bobbie (Peter D’Souza), a retired doctor suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. As his clinical condition worsens, he has flashbacks of his past, and secrets his family had no idea about emerge; namely related to his true Parsi origins and the heritage he has denied for so many years. The drama was combined with a central aerial trapeze, which characters used to physically convey the emotion of what was going on below.
Kate Dyson gave a strong performance as the wife trying to bravely soldier on as she watches her husband deteriorate. Dylan Kennedy and Phillippa Vafadari portrayed the grandson and daughter convincingly, expressing their inner turmoil via the trapeze. Vafadari, also the choreographer, was particularly strong at this, twisting and turning high above the stage, symbolic of the family's anguish, and also the physical ‘tangles’ within the brain in Alzheimer’s. Special mention must go to the aerial technican, Jonathon Campbell, who controlled the trapeze from the side of the stage - he was enthralling to watch.
The star of the show was undoubtedly D’Souza. He conveyed the confusion of Alzheimer’s along with the bursts of ‘real’ memory superbly. His posture, his movement and his facial expressions were faultless. I have never seen an actor emote so well through their eyes - they reflected the blankness, the confusion, and then the vividness of the memories perfectly. Outstanding.
The performance had me in tears, but there were equally hilarious and joyous moments. An important subject was tackled sensitively and sensibly. It had the right balance of portraying the sadness of an ebbing life with a celebration of identity and love. I was fearful that the show would end tragically but it ended on a bittersweet note, which was just right.
The national tour is now finished and will move onto India next. If it ever tours in the UK again, I cannot recommend it highly enough! Definitely a must-see!
It centres around Bobbie (Peter D’Souza), a retired doctor suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. As his clinical condition worsens, he has flashbacks of his past, and secrets his family had no idea about emerge; namely related to his true Parsi origins and the heritage he has denied for so many years. The drama was combined with a central aerial trapeze, which characters used to physically convey the emotion of what was going on below.
Kate Dyson gave a strong performance as the wife trying to bravely soldier on as she watches her husband deteriorate. Dylan Kennedy and Phillippa Vafadari portrayed the grandson and daughter convincingly, expressing their inner turmoil via the trapeze. Vafadari, also the choreographer, was particularly strong at this, twisting and turning high above the stage, symbolic of the family's anguish, and also the physical ‘tangles’ within the brain in Alzheimer’s. Special mention must go to the aerial technican, Jonathon Campbell, who controlled the trapeze from the side of the stage - he was enthralling to watch.
The star of the show was undoubtedly D’Souza. He conveyed the confusion of Alzheimer’s along with the bursts of ‘real’ memory superbly. His posture, his movement and his facial expressions were faultless. I have never seen an actor emote so well through their eyes - they reflected the blankness, the confusion, and then the vividness of the memories perfectly. Outstanding.
The performance had me in tears, but there were equally hilarious and joyous moments. An important subject was tackled sensitively and sensibly. It had the right balance of portraying the sadness of an ebbing life with a celebration of identity and love. I was fearful that the show would end tragically but it ended on a bittersweet note, which was just right.
The national tour is now finished and will move onto India next. If it ever tours in the UK again, I cannot recommend it highly enough! Definitely a must-see!