Edinburgh Fringe 2013

The Collision of Things is a refreshing dose of simple storytelling in an Edinburgh Fringe packed with shows  where it is often unclear if technology is a a help or a hindrance to the medium. This young and vigorous company use simple gesture, voice and subtle recorded sound to create a striking portrait of London, where rootless individuals aim to find meaning in their lives.

 

It is in the milieu, that we meet Tom looking for information about his recently deceased father; Jan (Martin Bonger) and Luisiana (Merce Ribot) are foreigners looking for a home for their longed for baby. Ribot and Bonger are a delightful pairing, really capturing the feeling of a young couple striving to maintain  passion in the face of office life. Richard Kiess, playing Tom, provides an eccentrically British foil, although sometimes his characters earnestness and naivety is a little good to be true. The performances are always sensitive and thoughtful, using moments of physicality to add layers.

 

The dynamics of the piece elegantly unfold, everything happens in the right order with a meticulous awareness of tone and shape. The dialogue is spare and incisive, overcoming issues of translation with ingenuity and humour and giving a sense that this story defies boundaries of language and nationality.

 

The marketing material alludes to the inevitable, titular ‘Collision’ and it is the sense of foreboding that is perhaps the weakness of the piece. We always know something is coming and therefore, when it happens the impact is lessened. Perhaps a few more twists and turns would have helped this very fine piece of work transcend into something unforgettable and given the audience the sense that they earned the conclusion of the story more.

 

With the Collision of Things, Move to Stand to stand reveal themselves as an accomplished new theatrical voice, I eagerly await to see what they come up with next.