Bringing new meaning to the term “daddy issues,” She She Pop explores William Shakespeare’s King Lear in a modern way in Testament.
On stage with their actual fathers, three members of this Berlin-based performance collective explore the trials and tribulations, not only of the child-parent relationship, but the struggle of power that can occur as one generation steps down and the other steps in. One lonesome performer, sans father, then explores the idea of an absent parent.
Delving into issues that are seldom spoken about, let alone performed on stage, Testament is not for the thin-skinned. Melding funny, raw, and frank scenes, She She Pop doesn’t hold back in terms of familial stresses, much like the intensity of Shakespeare’s original work.
Bringing up issues that you probably only discuss with your closest relatives in hushed whispers in the kitchen after Christmas dinner, the most powerful scenes in Testament explore disappointment, love, the act of caring for a loved one, and more importantly, forgiveness. These blunt scenes will make you laugh, think, and cry.
Poignant comments about life, success, love, and giving are made light while maintaining and edge of sincerity confirming the realness, and rawness, of emotions that came up during the rehearsal process for these performers and their kin.
Mixing contemporary music with projections, a German version of the King Lear script, and some dancing, She She Pop delivers a veritable feast for the eyes. This includes the subtitles that run across the top of the stage translating their quips. Utilizing the whole stage in innovative ways, She She Pop definitely delivers a full-blown performance, breaking the fourth wall and divulging to the audience their behind the scenes work and process.
Testament also translates Shakespeare into relatable terms. Cutting through the heavy language and antiquated examples, the members of the group get to the key issues of the story through game-show like examples they illustrate on a flipchart that is projected on a screen. From physics formulas explaining Lear’s predicament to creating lists of wants the children express, the use of multimedia is seamlessly integrated into an already multifaceted play.
Utterly charming, at the end of the piece, you feel connected not only to the performers and their aging fathers, but to your own family as well. Taking a moment to consider your own familial situation, there is definitely something about this piece, barring the language difference that is sure to hit home.
And that’s where Testament’s success is born.
Relatable, charming, hilarious at times, raw, and blunt, this piece is more than a translation and adaptation of Shakespeare, but rather a work of art, a performance that incorporates all you could want in a piece of theatre. Including three men dancing in boots to Dolly Parton. Really, you don’t want to miss this.
Testament is on as a part of PuSh Festival until January 26th. In partnership with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, it plays in the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. More information and ticket details can be found online.