THEATRE & FILM Guide
Dance At CAST
ODD JOB MEN
Slow West
Cast ,4th November, 2015
Cast, 11th November, 2015
Phantom Cinema, 7 Young Street, Thursday 28th January, 2016, 7.30 pm.
I’ve heard so many people over the years tell me that the way to change the world is through storytelling. Stories are the key to change, they’re the world without its makeup on and they’re the best way for people to establish a connection with each other.
From 1903’s ‘The Great Train Robbery’ onwards, the strange story of the American West was told in hundreds of films, made all over the world. Generally set in the latter part of the 19th century, in the wide open spaces and shanty towns of the emerging nation, westerns provided steady profits for decades, until audiences started to lose interest during the 1960s. The classic western, with its heroes, villains, and cruel, whooping Indians, died here, having done so much to write the legend of the Wild West, and to enshrine that short, chaotic period of time into world history.
National Dance Company Wales is an awardwinning contemporary dance company presenting work by some of the most celebrated international choreographers, which is exactly what they did at Cast on the 4th of November 2015. The company performed three pieces that were contrasting in style and subject, but all were enjoyable and we would recommend anyone who loves watching dance or something new to take the chance to see this show. It started with a soloist performer mumbling and chatting to herself, creating sounds with her voice, breath and movement. The audience were then transported into a full on voice orchestra that filled the stage with intricate rhythms which served as a canvas of interchanging movement and sound. The movement was fascinating to watch, and performed with a light hearted, effortlessly funny nature by the performers who each enveloped a distinct character. The final piece of the night Walking Mad was unique, in which the audience were meet with nothing more then a long wooden fence stretching across the full length of the stage. Throughout the piece the fence becomes a piece the dancers partner with, climb up, dangle from and push against it. It also contains hidden doors that open and allow the dancers to leap through or bolt from, occasionally it falls right over, creating a stage upon the stage. This impact is felt when all nine dancers step on top it with their hats and raincoats making the scene look like something out of Broadway. National Dance Company Wales provided an enjoyable and breath-taking triple bill of performances. The works offered a mixture of dance styles and themes, which left the audience with their own personal favorites. We highly recommend seeing National Dance Company Wales, it will be an awe inspiring experience for both the dance novice and regular theatre goer. A review by University Centre Students: Amelia Yeates, Paige Sennett, Lois Stothard and Amber Heath.
I’ve got high expectations for Odd Job Men - I always do when I come to Cast to see a play. The environment here feels exciting and electric to me, and it always builds me up in anticipation. As we’re taking our seats I look at the set. Reminiscent of home, domestic work and, well, stories. I hope it’s enough for the two actors to draw from. Odd Job Men is a collection of stories, beautifully portrayed in the same way you’d tell a funny tale to your friends at the pub. Nick and Matt set themselves a goal - a goal of exploring the people of Donny by doing odd jobs in exchange for stories. The theatre is completely packed out, we’re all huddled up close together. The actors get everyone’s attention and introduce themselves. I couldn’t envisage how this play would be delivered, and even in the introduction I’m feeling a little apprehensive. Nevertheless, they get into character and Odd Job Men begins. The first story we hear is a nostalgic tale about a tennis ball and a pint of Guinness. The room slowly fills with laughter. My apprehension is immediately put at ease. The pair recount their experiences through mimes and impressions, each story slightly funnier than the last. We hear about a loft clearance that brought with it an unexpected discovery; a daring trip to the faraway lands of Maltby; a stolen bus; a pineapple plant; and plenty of other simple, humble memories from people who’ve lived in Doncaster for many years. Throughout Odd Job Men I feel a steady increase in my pride for Doncaster. This play has picked out the many lovable characteristics our residents hold, and showcased them in a lovely way. Nick and Matt round up the show by encouraging us all to share stories in our day to day lives more often, a lost art that if regained would probably results in us all getting along a bit better. As we leave I glance at the time and can’t believe almost an hour and a half has passed - it flew by! I have to run to catch my bus, so I don’t manage to ask another theatre goer what they thought, but the warm atmosphere I leave behind is enough to confirm that everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did. Fran Bibby
30
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‘Slow West’ is a curious sort of western, but a western it most certainly is. Directed by a Scot, and filmed in New Zealand, it features a young, naive hero, a morally ambiguous gunman paid to protect him, and a long, dangerous journey through an awe-inspiring but deadly landscape. Our ‘heroes’ are on a quest, but this new land doesn’t care about their intentions, and the people they meet are obsessed with force and plunder and survival, so their path is strewn with death and deception. ‘Slow West’ is filled with twists and turns that both reflect classic genre tropes and subvert them. It is a beautiful film full of ugly things, not least the predatory, ruthless people who populate it, and the mud and blood of the protagonists quixotic path to their own destiny. It is clear about the lie of the legend, and provides a few truths of its own. We never see a town, or more than a dozen people at a time. This West is still a wilderness, one that resists efforts to tame it, and ‘Slow West’ is unflinching in its portrayal of its strange indifference. It’s a slow ride, but a hugely satisfying one. Paul Bareham ‘Slow West’ shows at Phantom Cinema, 7 Young Street, Doncaster on Thursday 28th January, 7.30 pm.