RAIN - REVIEW
Herald Sun, August 7, 2006Rain is an atmospheric, often romantic piece. Hailing from Montreal, a circus hotbed, it is a show of the new circus breed, which mixes theatrical devices, circus and text to create a meandering series of vignettes on the human condition. A cast member questions this conceit, I don’t understand this new circus . . . why do we have to explore the unconscious?
With its backdrops of sky, inflatable clouds and screens that create physical depth and suspended images, Rain does evoke the subconscious and surreal to great effect.
It slowly unfolds and allows each of the unique performers’ personalities to shine through.
Its modesty seems at odds with the glitzy Palms casino theatre, yet the combination works and it retains its intimacy.
A quintet suspended on black aerial tissue look like they are floating in air. A screen silhouettes an elegant, sinewy trapeze act.
A world class, gravity-defying, slowly unfolding acro-balance act from two males and the beautiful spectacle of diving and sliding through the rainstorm finale are just a few of the lasting moments, all of which owe much to Martin Labrecque’s effective lighting design and the diverse sound compositions from Maria Bonzanigo and Lucie Cauchon. Rain’s pace is fairly slow and its duration perhaps a little lengthy, but it succeeds in making a powerful and cohesive whole.
This is not turbo-charged circus, nor does it rely on daredevil tricks to entertain.
Rather Rain’s power is in its introspective, thoughtful journey that marries visual symbols with physical prowess and contextualizes circus skills into meaningful human interactions.