Performing arts review: A Gala Celebration – Life Reimagined (Royal Opera House, London, WC2)

Performing arts review: A Gala Celebration – Life Reimagined
Performance date: 7.30pm Wednesday 25 February 2015
Royal Opera House – map
Bow Street, Covent Garden
London WC2E 9DD
Review by: Alexa Williamson
Rating: *** (out of 5)
Credits: Various composers and artists performing their work.

Hodge-podge fundraising production. A little of it was great. Most of it was boring. Shame as these things can be excellent. Favourite numbers were the ballet dances by: Soares and Nunez (“Diamonds”), Lamb and Acosta (from Carousel), Macrae and Osipova and the number for Elisir D’Amore with Bryn Terfel in it. A nice way to give money to charity. Actually, had forgotten I had gone to this till I found the programme a couple of weeks later. That sums up what I thought of it lol – forgettable!

Maybe I’d go again if I knew in advance what the programme contained. If you didn’t go, you didn’t miss anything!

It should aim to be more like The Russian Ballet Icons at the English National Opera that happens every year. [Actually I missed it this year due to little advertising – it was amazing – I am heartbroken! *sigh*]

Further information:
Royal Opera House (official site)

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Performing arts review: No Fit State (circus): Bianco

Performing arts review: No Fit State (circus): Bianco
Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Roundhouse, Camden – map
Performance review date: Tuesday 9 April 2013
Performance run: 6-27 April 2013
Rating: *1/2 (ie 1.5 out of 5)

If you’re looking for an industrial-feeling show of acrobatics that represents “Urban Britain” and fits in well (ironically?) with the dark and high-rise landscape and atmosphere of Camden, then look no further than the current run of No Fit State‘s Bianco at the Roundhouse. The troupe of performers who do many acrobatics above your head at the Roundhouse get hats tipped to them for doing their best – and at times, the show, which incorporates a lot of people in various outfits (the long flowing dresses, suspenders and trousers and corsets and other flowing things being the most fun to be seen flowing through the air), is touching, alive, clever and unique.

But, unfortunately, a lot of the time it feels like you have people swinging above your heads and they don’t care much about what they are doing. I realise that they don’t intend this, but the show seems very loosely put together and there is not much personality to it. The best part of the show is that the Roundhouse looks fantastic in the lighting and it is a huge and lovely venue to spend time in and the music of the show puts you into a relaxed state.

Bianco, at times, is fun to watch what is going on, but for £20+/ticket and without much direction in the show, No Fit State’s current offering is a waste of time and money. One viewer of the show who has seen many of their shows said, “No Fit State’s other shows had a lot of emotion. They were unique and made you laugh and cry. This one, I don’t know. There is no life in it. What happened? I don’t know.”

Some people don’t like Cirque du Soleil, but their last show was actually a lot of fun. At the same price, it was more value and fun for money – and the Royal Albert Hall is also a great venue, particularly when there is a lively show on. No Fit State has great posters for the show and at times they make you laugh and smile at some of the stunts they perform (such as a snorkelling act) but overall it needs structure and choreography to it. With a lot of circuses coming and going, it is easy to see people on trapezes swinging over your head. What exactly they are doing on the trapezes will make you remember whether you want to come back and see (and trust) their next show or not. Not worth the money, but at least half the time they are trying hard to do something. What? Nobody really seems to know.

Further information:
No Fit State (official site)
Roundhouse (official site)

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