Edinburgh Fringe 2022
Soothe
Infusion Physical Theatre
Genre: Circus, Dance, Physical Theatre
Venue: Greenside at Infirmary Street
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
In semi darkness our performers arrive and create a tableaux which shows one with a white coat and the others with either lamps or the scientific model for adrenaline. What follows are three sections where we have a moving physical embodiment of the effects upon each of our performers, firstly of adrenaline and then dopamine and oxytocin as lab rats or as the scientists in the white coat as we progress towards the end.
Review
This has promise and the abilities of the performers would suggest there could be more to come. It just needed some more time in the rehearsal room, to cement transitions and the fluidity of the ideas. Where there are conventions created – as in the moving of objects by moving a hand close to it – it requires more consistency. When the hand touches the object, or it lacks finesse in movement that early in a performance there are less opportunities to feel confident in as an audience.
And there are times when performers creatively lack that confidence to really stretch beyond the footlights and present their material in a way in which they could receive a more positive response. There are some more comfortable in their performance skin than others, but all demonstrate throughout an ability which manages to ensure it keeps its own rhythm and retains our attention.
When the energy level rises that is when it is at its best. The way that people interact onstage is more fluent and together at those times. The group tableaux ideas are good, some of the pair work is really great and the theatre arts compliment the overall performance. I would perhaps have thought more about costume and had more consistency or at least greater variation to make a point, but this did not completely detract from the overall effect.
Whilst there were three words spoken throughout, the narrative physically was good enough. The idea of being in a laboratory of some sort was well established and the distinctive roles for each of the four performers became obvious as each section evolved in front of us. Of the three I liked dopamine more than the other two but that may be to do with the more physically identifiable representations.
This is a theatre company with charm and some chutzpah. There is real potential here in terms of the subject matter and their ability to bring it into the studio space, but it could do with a little more attention to its detail to take it beyond the great idea stage.
