Royal Lyceum Theatre
3 stars
Synaesthesia is a word bandied about in artistic circles by those who think they’ve re-invented the wheel. In its crudest terms, it’s a condition whereby the senses are disordered enough to ‘see sound.’ It’s a concept that’s been explored in its historical form by the likes of American minimalist Tony Conrad, as well as Lee Renaldo’s Text Of Light project, with some success at Dundee Contemporary Arts’ Kill Your Timid Notion cross-artform festival. Robin Guthrie’s Lumiere project tried something similar on this year’s Fringe.
Despite all the advertisements, synaesthesia doesn’t have much to do with Theatre Cryptic’s collaboration with Singapore’s brilliant T’ang Quartet, who play four pieces concurrently by composers Kevin Volans, Rolf Wallin, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh and Joby Talbot in what is essentially a staged concert with contributions by digital artist Jasch and lighting by Nich Smith.
Beginning at the back of the stage, partly hidden by a series of large structures which later double up as chairs, the T’ang begin with the prodding urgency of Volans’ White Man Sleeps, eventually moving forward as they’re bathed in a swathe of mood-enhancing light, projections and film footage. There’s even what looks like a waft of dry ice. The music, in turns insistent, urgent, playful, and, by the time you get to Talbot’s final Manual Override, lodged dizzyingly in the mind, could easily stand up without any of the trappings, which never quite become the sum of their parts. Yet, for all one wanted to be bombarded but only ended up tickled, it remains a fantastic sleight of hand for EIF director Jonathan Mills to place Optical Identity in the festival’s theatre programme, and says much about where he wants to take it. In terms of synaesthesia, though, the gift of sound and vision is left wanting.
The Herald, September 1st 2007
ends
3 stars
Synaesthesia is a word bandied about in artistic circles by those who think they’ve re-invented the wheel. In its crudest terms, it’s a condition whereby the senses are disordered enough to ‘see sound.’ It’s a concept that’s been explored in its historical form by the likes of American minimalist Tony Conrad, as well as Lee Renaldo’s Text Of Light project, with some success at Dundee Contemporary Arts’ Kill Your Timid Notion cross-artform festival. Robin Guthrie’s Lumiere project tried something similar on this year’s Fringe.
Despite all the advertisements, synaesthesia doesn’t have much to do with Theatre Cryptic’s collaboration with Singapore’s brilliant T’ang Quartet, who play four pieces concurrently by composers Kevin Volans, Rolf Wallin, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh and Joby Talbot in what is essentially a staged concert with contributions by digital artist Jasch and lighting by Nich Smith.
Beginning at the back of the stage, partly hidden by a series of large structures which later double up as chairs, the T’ang begin with the prodding urgency of Volans’ White Man Sleeps, eventually moving forward as they’re bathed in a swathe of mood-enhancing light, projections and film footage. There’s even what looks like a waft of dry ice. The music, in turns insistent, urgent, playful, and, by the time you get to Talbot’s final Manual Override, lodged dizzyingly in the mind, could easily stand up without any of the trappings, which never quite become the sum of their parts. Yet, for all one wanted to be bombarded but only ended up tickled, it remains a fantastic sleight of hand for EIF director Jonathan Mills to place Optical Identity in the festival’s theatre programme, and says much about where he wants to take it. In terms of synaesthesia, though, the gift of sound and vision is left wanting.
The Herald, September 1st 2007
ends
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