Gravity and Other Myths just brought their ‘A (Eh?) game’… and you’re going to want to see them do it again.
Remarkably skillful, hardworking, risk-taking acrobats, this Australia-based team of performers is pushing physical limits and personal boundaries. Their featured tour, A Simple Space, is honest, genuine and viscerally infectious. With a small twist of playful humour and a touch of over-confidence, the cast of A Simple Space will tickle your soft spots just enough to distract you from the physical angst you feel for the performers.
On opening night, A Simple Space’s cast revealed their show (and a little bit more) to a mesmerized and fascinated full house. The York Theatre was the perfect sized space for Gravity and Other Myths’ performance aims. Cast only by a handful of spotlights, the room was no bigger than a modern sized Vancouver condo (kidding…we know condos here are smaller) and housed the cast to its maximum potential. With nowhere to go but up, that’s exactly the direction these performers ended up traveling.
The show started out with a game of trust. Accompanied by melodic pieces produced by live percussionist (and insanely talented musician), fellow Gravity and Other Myths member, Elliot Zoerner, the acrobats began a sequence of staged falls, one after another. Each acrobat moved with the music, exercising stealth, strength, and agility to quickly catch his fellow performer. Setting the tone for the rest of the evening, the opening act unveiled a truthful, trusting, raw approach to what could otherwise have been a flashy, over-the-top circus style scene.
Each following act only got better. Every cast member was given an opportunity to showcase her individual ability while being surrounded and supported by her mates. The team seemed prepared and ready to respond to any situation. Quick on their feet and graceful with their steps, the performers demonstrated cooperation, determination, and responsibility. Though silly and challenging games were played, every audience member watched with bated breath. The acts, ranging from a skip and strip contest to a front flip-a-thon, brought a unique set of skills to the stage but always kept the artists’ focused mindsets intact. The show was admirable, entertaining, and nerve-wracking all at once.
Undoubtedly, I’d go see this performance again. It’s family friendly, date night appropriate, and checks off all the boxes of ‘cool things to do in Vancouver’. Check out the individual bios of Gravity and Other Myths here and be sure to scope out the listings for the next show.
A Simple Space runs until October 24 at the York Theatre.
The staff handled the situation with poise and a good dose of humour, but in the end, no one seemed all that put out about having to wait outside for 20 minutes, and there was never a dip in the atmosphere. In fact, it was almost heightened by the unexpected hiccup; a humorous prelude to a night of good fun, making it clear this wasn’t going to be a standard or old-fashioned presentation of Shakespeare’s work.
I do stress the term interpretation though, as the play was certainly condensed and much of the language of the original work was replaced with shorter speeches and sometimes even musical numbers. While I did miss some of my favourite lines (Romeo and Juliet’s speech upon first meeting in particular), the majority of the play’s most recognizable lines were kept in. Where lines were cut, it was done judiciously, and allowed what remained of the original language to stand out. The changes were refreshing and I imagine only the strictest purists could take issue with the update.
While Legg’s Romeo and Adelleh Furseth‘s Juliet were both beautiful and beyond convincing, it was Conor Stinson-O’Gorman’s performance of Mercutio that stole the show for me. No performance of Romeo + Juliet is complete without a proper Queen Mab speech, and he delivered it beyond my expectations.
