Reviews

Medousa - Reviews

The Times

…Hard to think of a more contrasting creation than Vocal Motions Elastic Theatre’s rather haunting Medousa. If it really was, as billed, half-improvised on the night, then this company deserves even more respect for such a tightly wound retelling of the gorgon’s story.
Hinged around Maya Sapone’s fabulously hot-blooded performance, this Medusa declared that she would “rather be monstrous than powerless”, and accepted her metamorphosis into a beast and her subsequent decapitation more as a sacrificial victim than a legendary nasty. Her counterpart was a dancer, Fernando Balsera Pita’s terrified Perseus, tripping through the cleverly gloomy set. The music, two intertwining monologues from cello and flute, was snakily neurotic. More of Medousa would also be welcome

The Magdalene Mysteries - Reviews

Time Out

Multi-disciplined, cross-cultural and trans-national theatre company Vocal Motions Elastic Theatre marks itself out here as one to watch with this new production. Directed by Jacek Ludwig Scarso, it employs song, dance, mime and devised text to tell the story of the eponymous heroine via various depictions throughout the ages.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Mary Magdalene – the controversy surrounding her relationship with Christ, her little-known 30-year meditation in Marseilles, her disputed position as a religious leader and the destruction of her gospel by the early Church – then read the programme before you watch this. Much of the production is wordless, some of it is sung by an almighty chorus which performs everything from Gregorian chants to spirituals, and the dialogue is based on various historical texts such as the four gospels and ‘Homily 33’ by Pope Gregory I. Despite some obscurity, it’s a fascinating exploration of patriarchy and Christianity.

Aesthetically and sensorily, Scarso’s impressive production draws attention to a woman whose significance has been disowned by history. Three veiled dancers, representing the spirit of Mary, writhe around to the sound of an acoustic guitar in an incense-filled space. Sandra Shirley cuts a powerful and dignified figure as ‘the whore and the holy one, the wife and the virgin’. The mystery still remains, but Vocal Motions shines some light on a fascinating figure.

Fringe Review

There is no more fitting a way to watch a production about Mary Magdalene than in a church, and where better than the beautiful St James’ in London. By placing the audience in the pulpit as well as some in standing room seats on the balcony above, the pews became the stage and the organ the backdrop for a vivid and emotional portrayal of this historical religious figure. However the great thing is that Vocal Motions Elastic Theatre’s production is not site specific and for that reason every time it plays a different venue the piece continues to develop, grow and change. The Magdalene Mysteries takes a conceptual journey into the life of this fascinating character in religious history. The production was a part of the Roma Teatro Festival in Rome and will go on to play at the Southwark Playhouse, London in July.
Elastic Theatre has fused together a variety of historic documents to take their audience on an imaginary journey through Magdalene’s life using a mix of original text, vocals including opera and gospel as well as some innovative contemporary dance. With a cast of 15 and one musician The Magdalene Mysteries forms part of a trilogy of work from Elastic Theatre. They revisit classical female roles including Ophelia and Medea and strip them of the stereotyped notions of passivity and subordination, empowering the women by giving the character centre stage. Rather than stereotyping Mary into the box of saint, prostitute, Jesus’ lover or a sinner Elastic takes away preconceived ideas we have about Mary’s femininity, giving her a voice through the non canonical texts, the Gnostic Gospels. The gospel of Mary Magdalene paints her not as the mournful penitent, but instead as intelligent, independent, political and strong.

The ensemble of actors in The Magdalene Mysteries is well cast with Sandra Shirley giving her all in the role of Magdalene herself. Her desperate grief in the wake of Jesus’ death, and the sense of strength that radiates out of her as she reveals the joyous moment when she saw Jesus resurrected, only to be shot down in flames by Jesus’ other devoted disciple Peter’s ego is beautifully captured by Shirley. Vincent Jerome is strong and intimidating as Peter using his voice to great effect in the echoing church, and Shirley uses her body inventively to express Mary in pain, and as a result is captivating to watch. Angelic Theo Lowe creates a serene and yet powerful version of Jesus using beautiful contemporary dance.

The chorus is strong with many individual talents shining out through both voice and dance. Magdalene’s 3 shadows create a detailed second layer, a reflection of the main stage action. With red sand poured lovingly from a bowl by Jesus, Mary inscribes upon it her teachings in the wake of Jesus being resurrected to her. Erased by Peter and his followers her 3 shadows then pick up great handfuls of the red sand and as it slips through their fingers they slowly construct a huge image of the cross down through the central aisle between the pews. This powerful visual image is breathtaking to watch and from the balcony it must looked even more symbolic. Solo vocalists Maya Sapone, Heather Knight and Holly Rose captivate the audience throughout the production with their accompanying operatic and gospel singing.
(…) The work Elastic is producing is unusual, exciting and innovative and there are countless options for them to explore should they continue along the same theme lines. Well worth a look when it opens at the Southwark and keep an eye out for this company as they have an exceptionally promising future producing pioneering and inventive theatre.

Bankside Press

It is well worth catching this intriguing contemporary dance, voice and music theatre production this week at Southwark Playhouse as it arrives at next stop on its tour from Rome and St James’s Piccadilly.
Performed by a talented group of actors and superb singers the production takes you on an imaginary journey with Mary Magdalene as the focus.
This performance however is of interest to anyone who is interested in the fascinating fusion of dance, speech, drama and music. To be reminded of Mary Magdalene and the intrigue that surrounds her is a bonus.
Mary is indeed a compelling character and is shrouded in mystery even today. Those who have read Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ will have a form of compass on the mystery.
This innovative form of theatre is based on stories of Mary Magdalene from early historical documents such as the Gospels in the Bible, Gnostic and medieval texts and later sources.
The imagery, chorus of voices, and atmosphere is haunting yet gracious. It leads the audience to ponder, puzzle and admire.
‘Look at me…’ spoken by Mary in an early scene is exactly what we are asked to do in this production; in so doing the audience is privileged to realise the truth of ‘where the mind is, there is the treasure…’ words heard by Mary in the final scenes.