A show well worth the price of admission for those willing to spend an hour getting lost in a world entirely different from the one outside the venue’s doors.
Ostensibly, The North tells the story of a man lost in a harsh arctic climate who is taken in by two creatures of indeterminate origin, sexuality, physicality and perhaps even legitimate existence. Everything is questionable when it comes to the narrative of a show like The North and that can be frustrating for audience members expecting a more linear viewing experience. However, as the show’s protagonist must learn to do, if one let’s go of their preconceptions and allows themselves to be swept up in The North, there is a great deal of enjoyment to be had in the experience.
Chiefly, the technical expertise of this show is a force to be reckoned with. In particular the choreography of Joan Clevillé and the lighting design by Emma Jones. These two disparate elements are perfectly wedded to create a jaw-droppingly beautiful atmosphere of tender hostility. The room, with its entirely white stage and backdrop, helped immensely, but it is the world crafted largely by Jones and Clevillé that gives The North almost all of its power. The rest comes from the performers: Eve Ganneau, John Kendall and Solene Weinachter. All three are strong dancers and intensely committed actors, at times to a discomforting degree. Although it was often unclear what the three of them were doing on stage, it was never in doubt that they were doing it with the utmost attention to detail.
The North is beautiful to listen to, look at and experience. Joan Clevillé Dance have put together a show well worth the price of admission for those willing to spend an hour getting lost in a world entirely different from the one outside the venue’s doors. For those looking for something more narrative-driven or focused on a particular plot or story, The North may not be quite what they are looking for.
