I’ve written all of the reviews that I get to write for the Georgia Straight, but I saw a show last night that I wish I’d seen earlier and I want you to know about it. Falling Awake is excellent.
In this clown show, a woman’s partner is killed by lightning, but he keeps visiting her. The content is deliciously associative and the performers are terrifically skilled.
Nayana Fielkov is a traditional clown: her character speaks gibberish as well as a smattering of English, she has huge emotions, she does magic tricks and, because she is such a pure spirit, she is immensely charming.
Matthew (Poki) McCorkle is more of a movement artist. He does a lot of fixed-point work, in which objects appear to take on lives of their own. In one sequence, for instance, his umbrella keeps floating up, apparently of its own accord. When it threatened to float him off his feet, the moment was so beautiful that I groaned with pleasure.
Together, Fielkov and McCorkle are RAGMOP theatre and they are based in Vancouver, although they have been traveling across Europe and across the Canadian Fringe circuit, collecting prizes as they go.
Falling Awake has four more shows, which I’ll list below. Do yourself a big favour. You know what to do.
Falling Awake is at The Cultch on September 13 (7:45 p.m.), 15 (5:00 p.m.), 17 (5:45 p.m.), and 18 (1:45 p.m.)
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