The Arches, Glasgow
3 stars
When small town girl Vivienne Grout goes off to the big city in her flower-print frock, she only wants to be adored. Given three tasks to complete by a mysterious gentleman caller, before too long her free spirit is ripped, stripped and stabbed out of existence until she’s made a husk of her former self. A sadly all too familiar rites of passage tale, but one never quite told like the young, newly constituted SparkleDark company’s rendering.
Technically a free adaptation of film director Tim Burton’s gothic poem, Voodoo Girl, published as part of his collection, The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy, the original’s pared-down, unlucky-for-some 13 lines of tantalising gothic are expanded here for a full 75 minute adult fairytale. Director Jennifer Dick and co-devisor Sarah Chalcroft, who performs this devised solo piece, take expansive liberties all of their own invention in a creation of some considerable charm.
While some of the impressionistic language the story is told through is quite gorgeous, and Chalcroft herself is appropriately wide-eyed and expressive, for all the dehumanising menace that comes through the play’s feminist subtext, twee flights of fancy at times win out over the gory edge required. The pair should perhaps look to the likes of Shockheaded Peter, to which this is some kind of more modestly resourced spiritual heir, for guidance. SparkleDark nevertheless make the most of their lot in a stylish looking affair which, with a tad more flesh on its scrawny bones, would be equally as enchanting, but, as Vivienne is gradually turned into a human pin cushion, would be a whole lot scarier too.
The herald, February 7th 2007
ends
3 stars
When small town girl Vivienne Grout goes off to the big city in her flower-print frock, she only wants to be adored. Given three tasks to complete by a mysterious gentleman caller, before too long her free spirit is ripped, stripped and stabbed out of existence until she’s made a husk of her former self. A sadly all too familiar rites of passage tale, but one never quite told like the young, newly constituted SparkleDark company’s rendering.
Technically a free adaptation of film director Tim Burton’s gothic poem, Voodoo Girl, published as part of his collection, The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy, the original’s pared-down, unlucky-for-some 13 lines of tantalising gothic are expanded here for a full 75 minute adult fairytale. Director Jennifer Dick and co-devisor Sarah Chalcroft, who performs this devised solo piece, take expansive liberties all of their own invention in a creation of some considerable charm.
While some of the impressionistic language the story is told through is quite gorgeous, and Chalcroft herself is appropriately wide-eyed and expressive, for all the dehumanising menace that comes through the play’s feminist subtext, twee flights of fancy at times win out over the gory edge required. The pair should perhaps look to the likes of Shockheaded Peter, to which this is some kind of more modestly resourced spiritual heir, for guidance. SparkleDark nevertheless make the most of their lot in a stylish looking affair which, with a tad more flesh on its scrawny bones, would be equally as enchanting, but, as Vivienne is gradually turned into a human pin cushion, would be a whole lot scarier too.
The herald, February 7th 2007
ends
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