For anyone sensitive to strobe lighting, this is not the show for you. For anyone else, it is a must-attend experience!
Set in a futuristic dystopia, The Organisation watches over a select group of humans and their humanoid counterparts. As we are pulled through abstract movement sequences and intimate narrative moments, we are encouraged not only to explore the performance space, but the concepts of what it means to be alive, our relationship with the world of work, and the importance of connection to each other and the world around us.
There are three things that would enhance this production: with just three 3-minute breaks, it runs a little long. Every moment is excellent, but perhaps not every moment is 100% necessary. At times the voices coming out from the speakers are too muffled to understand (or muffled by the accompanying music). Finally, the live subtitles (while a brilliant addition) occasionally don't make it clear who is speaking to who, which can disrupt the flow a little.
However, what remains is an utterly unique spectacular feast for the senses that should not be missed!
The content itself, adapted by Joanna Bednarczyk, encompasses the entire spectrum of human emotion. While grappling with some heavy topics and difficult questions, we are put so much at ease by the humour that underpins this piece.
The entire cast is exceptional - the way they move through the space in such a carefully choreographed manner that seems spontaneous and effortless is astounding, not to mention the beautiful chemistry between them all and the stunning emotional performances. They are all supremely talented and deserve great acclaim for this feat.
Speaking of supreme talent, Lukasz Twarkowski directs with sheer perfection. The level of detail captured in every single moment, whether fast-paced chaos or thrilling sexual tension, is nothing short of sublime.
Twarkowski brings together every single element of this production into a profound and moving work of art - the lighting (Bartosz Nalazek and Svenja Gassen) keeps us on our toes, capturing the emotional rhythms of the piece, the blending of screen and stage tells so much more than one story, and the creative use of camera footage - jumping from camera to camera to what we have to assume is pre-recorded footage that blends seamlessly with the reality before us is joyous overwhelm.
Special mention must go to Iwo JabloĊski and Gloria Grunig who masterfully operate the cameras throughout, chasing performers and highlighting exactly what we need to see at any given moment, all while almost constantly moving backwards!
Weird and wonderful pieces of theatre like this don't come along very often, so make sure you see this one if you can!
It runs at Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre) until 19th January.
Review: Penny Lane Photo: Natalia Kabanow