What a lovely way to start the New Year at the London International Mime Festival 2019!
Yesterday I was able to attend the final dress rehearsal of Shift by Barely Methodical Troupe.
This show is the opening act of the London International Mime Festival 2019
Barely Methodical Troupe is a UK based group who had a huge debut hit, Bromance, back in 2015 at the 2015 London International Mime Festival.
Shift is a gravity- defying performance featuring 4 performers testing the limits of stretching, tumbling and reality. It was commissioned by the 2018 Norwich and Norfolk Festival and will hopefully do very well at LIMF 2019.
After the performance we were treated to a surprise Q&A by the Directors – Ella Robson Guilfoyle (Choreographer) and Lucy (Costume and Set Design Director)
We learnt about the ideas behind the choreography and the choreographic approach which included fun ideas of elasticity and playing around with movement ideas during workshops.
It had been a labour of love, as 2 members of the cast are not resident in the UK and so rehearsals were made to accommodate everyone’s schedules and also the demands and constraints of touring a circus show with lots of equipment within budget.
The discussion also included the practicality of costumes for such a physical performance, it was very interesting.
I respect that Ella and Lucy stayed back to give us an insight into their creative processes and answer questions, thanks very much ladies ?
My Thoughts
Although it was a circus/acrobatic show, the performers were obviously trained in dance as there was a lot of contemporary dance and release technique elements incorporated with the extravagant balances, tricks, B-boying and tumbles.
The talented performers are;
- 1 female performer (Esmeralda Nikolajeff)
- 3 male performers (Louis Gift, Charlie Wheeller, Elihu Vazquez)
I can see why this show has been selected to open the London International Mime Festival 2019.
Grab your ticket while you can and also check out the other shows participating in the festival this year.
Performance Dates and Times & Tickets
Venue: The Platform Theatre, Central Saint Martins, UAL, Handyside Street, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AA
Dates: Wednesday 9th – Saturday 12th January 2019
Performances: Weds – Fri at 7.30pm, Sat at 5pm (60 mins/ No Interval)
Age Guide: 5yrs +
Tickets: £16 – £18 no booking fees
Ticket Office: Click link mimelondon.com