Upon entering the Studio space at Basement Theatre to see a dance piece called Tunnelling Wormholes, we pass a woman in a white dress, cream coat, and a white hat fringed with red strings of beads. She sways slightly and moves her hands in front in a wave like manner.
Already I’m intrigued.
The performance space is intimate and inviting, the backdrop is a white curtain with bolts of fabric attached. near the figure on stage is a red sheet covering something. The musical accompaniment sounds like a guitar being plucked and as its rhythm increases, so do the movements of the dancer. Shortly, shapes appear under the sheet, it seems as though some ghostly beast is interacting with the dancer – playing with her. It’s amusing, frisky, teasing.
Eventually, a person emerges, and so begins a number of other beautifully orchestrated dance pieces – some with ethereal musical backing, others in complete silence. The dancing is sometimes sexy, other times wild, but always riveting. There seemed to be themes emerging -from birth, to conflict, to seduction. I’m not sure I always ‘got it’ but it was fascinating to watch.
The two performers Sharon Mortimer and Elani Austin-Tennant understood each other and played off each other wonderfully. As I have mentioned in the past, there is something about Mortimer that is quite magical, and when paired with Austin-Tennant the two provided an electric connection.
The staging though simple was very clever. Costumes and props changed or even disappeared in clever and sometimes magical ways. Blink for a moment and something had changed as if by sorcery – it was all rather engaging and fun.
TUNNELLING WORMHOLES
28 March – 1 April 2023
