Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Look at Them!
WXC Physical Theatre
Genre: Dance, Dance and Movement Theatre, Physical Theatre
Venue: Zoo Southside
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Look At Them! Is truly a spectacle beyond your expectations of what this may be – magical, innovative and a marvel of different fusions of theatre – presented to highlight the wonder of perspectives in a world that is forever changing and with this comes: curiosity, self-deprecation and loneliness. A visceral spectacle of metaphorical artistry not to be missed. Wen Xiaochao’s and Hu Bo’s direction in this hour will leave you in complete awe at the wonder that falls before you on stage, this is an absolute must see. Appearance verses the reality – through the looking glass you must go; but what do you discover about yourself under the skin?
Every single dancer on that stage performed with autonomy, freedom and unity to synchronised movements that was beyond a new plane of peripheral vision. The physical movement and timing of this company was simply outstanding. What the dancers present to you in this hour, some would take years to achieve and not reach – this plane of complete synchronicity and spiritual connection of the dance, this was Wen Xiaochao’s Physical Theatre power force of an ensemble – WXC Physical Theatre Company based in Beijing, China. Look at Them! we certainly did, excuse the pun – but the audience could not take their eyes off of the unparalleled cast of dancers. I would love to know the hours that has gone into this…
Review
Wen Xiaochao and Hu Bo starts with an emotion within their process of rehearsal, which transcends effortlessly onto the stage. This is art in every sense of the word. We do not need to know the exact place and time, but we feel the emotion which comes through every single performer, which is captured in simplistic blocks of light. There is not one performer that does not create the intended atmosphere of this piece, each second is carefully placed and considered as this tight knit cast move in effortless formation, the energy is high, animated in fixed points of expression, with the symbol of eyes placed across the skin – we are always being watched – yes, and the sense of ‘I’ am always being watched/judged too. The cast compete for the light that falls beautifully, as they reach, bend and role, only to be firmly pulled back down – this physical theatre is so effortless you cannot tell when the reaching and discarding begins – As sadly, no one makes it to the light.
Then here, emerges Li Yu, who is instantly presented as an outcast from the group, which leads him into a world of loneliness – how this is presented will leave you completely transfixed as Li Yu’s movement is simply harrowing; as he fights the need to continue and work through his fluctuating emotional states. You will feel the fragility in every pulse and placement of movement in Li Yu’s solo dance segment – showing the psychological impact the world can have on a person’s soul with such torturous beauty and yet utter helplessness – This was remarkable and incredibly moving. No words could really explain what I witnessed here – a complete physical fragmented physical state that was simple outstanding to watch. If you are lucky to see this show, you will understand why he has been given the title of one of China’s leading Contemporary dancers. Breathtaking.
Within the moments of moving choreography, came light and laughter also – a bundle of bodies would quickly morph onto the stage, as if baring the resemblance of a magical shape-shifting transformer, ever changing in dimension, space and time. This was the cast, constantly adapting, to suddenly become an extension of Li Yu’s mood and inquisitive nature, as from no where they produced a cake. Once again, the formation of this interaction in both pace and agility was exceptional, as the cake appeared in multiple parts of the stage, moving around Li Yu’s body in timely, fixed positions that leave you laughing at this chase whilst being in complete awe of the choreography once again. The cake becomes a reminder that not all interactions within our reality are negative and can bring elation and indeed a playful sense of childhood, when things were more simple, when we could perhaps be ‘who we are’ without judgment.
When you leave this theatre, you will go away thinking how did they do this? Why was that so powerful? I believe the cast truly created the theatre through every muscle in their being, they made and sculpted the environment, only relying on props as an extension of their imagination. This was beautifully executed in the use of a tape measure, pulled to cover the stage in it’s entirety to then be transformed into various angles of shapes and sizes. The cast interacted with this everyday item whilst moving in the direction/speed of the tape-measure; capturing the mood of the angle through their pathways of travel, force behind the movement, changes in rhythmic beats and use of interchangeable eye placement. Total Theatre at it’s ultimate peak. This was unprecedented. Exceptional.
So many wonderful moments to share, expect moving segments of choreography with unusual props, but still items we would expect to see in our everyday lives. Introducing Zhenguo Zhang who joins Li Yu on the stage to explore the wonders of the glass ‘bottle’. Moving so gracefully, with expressive beauty – as an audience member we must all question the meaning of this, is this another through the looking glass moment? A child looking through a stethoscope? Or a person clinging to the contents of that bottle? The layering and texture of this choreography will again, leave you moved – how liberating the movements are, yet something is still holding the duo back, the vice of the bottle, the metaphorical and personified storytelling here.
This is a show I would see again and again, you will not be bored – Expect humorous moments of laughter, followed by awe inspiring through the looking glass choreography that will leave the audience uplifted and questioning whether they will ever see anything like this again?
