May 15, 2010, Arnolfini
Up until now I have never had cause to climb aboard a life raft, a fact for which I am exceedingly grateful. But sitting in one to watch this latest production from London theatre company Curious only added to the show’s quiet magic.
‘The Moment I Saw You…’ is about love, and whether you should stay and stick it out or give up and run. Skillfully blending intimate live action with vintage-looking film and a gorgeously evocative soundtrack, Curious weave together wonderful stories about imperfect characters: a lady cast adrift on a lilo, a woman trying to hold back the sea, a man standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to jump whilst being watched by a calmly philosophical whale.
There are some compelling performances. Claudia Barton has a voice as richly seductive as ladlefuls of melted chocolate, while company founders Leslie Hill and Helen Paris sure know how to spin a yarn, whether that means holding court with a mic or whispering right there in the life raft with you.
Granted, the life raft is a bit cramped and not enormously comfortable (my bum is still a bit numb). But discomfort is easily dispelled by the ending, a moment of pure joy that celebrates love and says yes to staying and sticking it out. I urge you to see this, but be sure to take someone you hold dear (and maybe a cushion).
Clare Ogden
www.mayfestbristol.co.uk
www.placelessness.com
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