I won’t lie, I often forget that there is an untapped resource of amazing productions just coming through town under my nose. I’m talking about Swindon Dance. To kill my curiosity I recently went to see China Plate Theatre’s production of Point of Echoes. I was left stunned, especially by Ben Wright’s choreography. Set at Echo Point lighthouse in the 70s, China Plate have created an incredibly moving and thought-provoking piece, combining dance and theatre. Following the isolated journeys of two men - Captain (Dom Czapski) and Evan (Tom Heyes) - stationed at the lighthouse, Will Holt’s set design places us around the circular stage. This was such a dynamic use of a small space which perfectly captured the torment and harsh working environment for these two men. [caption id=“attachment_36360” align=“aligncenter” width=“740”]
Dom Czapski and Tom Heyes. Photo: Arnim Friess[/caption] Their job is to keep the light on, but the act itself lends itself to a deeper meaning stirring within the men - the notion of not being able to let go of their memory of past traumas, provokes them to find ways to keep the things and people they’ve lost still with them. For instance The Captain is haunted by the ghost of his wife and he has since been drinking himself into a pit of despair, but her presence around the stage starts revealing his past which drives the story forward - I thought this was a really poetic way in which to tell a story and give insight into the characters. The two characters themselves represent the literal and the conceptual. For everything these two men could not express through vocal language they communicated through dance. Every movement is an extension of their inner emotion - through dialogue the audience watch what they are trying to convey, and through dance we see how they feel. The latter may sound obvious, but admittedly sometimes this is just not pulled off in performances. The use of verbal language demonstrates how it can be misconstrued, as these two men could not be more opposite, but through dance the characters seem to make more of a connection. [caption id=“attachment_36358” align=“aligncenter” width=“740”]
Dom Czapski and Marta Masiero. Photo Ed Collier[/caption] I love the way in which Alan Stones made use of sound, overlaying the simplistic surroundings like the backdrop of the sea, which drove the story into a more haunting and supernatural dimension. Stones also used sound to signify an action, which draws parallels with Lars Von Trier’s Dogville, by representing an object through movement and noise as opposed to needing the physical presence. i.e. when the characters walk through doors, the sound of a door creaks open - it’s simple but very effective. Swindon was one of the last stops of the Point of Echoes tour, so I can’t shout out to go and see it. But overall what a stunning show, it had a bit of everything - mystical creatures, delusion, a search for closure - I think most people could identify with this is some way. As Point of Echoes was only at Swindon Dance for one evening my recommendation is to check what’s coming up for China Plate Theatre, and keep an eye out for some more spectacular performances at Swindon Dance. Check out what’s coming up via www.swindondance.org.uk