Theatre blackSKYwhite return to the Fringe this year, with a production as extravagant and unusual as ever. Set in an ambiguous territory between dream and reality, the actors play a host of ominous characters.
Creatures grow and loom over the stage. Freaks and wheelchair-bound sub-humans are presented to the audience. They look somehow familiar, but are distorted and behave erratically. The feeling is like that of a child's nightmare. The more sense you try to make of it, the harder it is to discern what's happening and what will happen next. the characters draw you in, only to disturb, with a very dark style of clowning that seems to eat away at you from the inside.
There is no story as such and it is just as hard to follow as it is to determine what the characters' intentions are in each scene. Even so, the piece is captivating. There is a constant sense of anticipation; what creature will next appear from behind the enormous sliding doors? Pillars of light alter in colour to allow moods to subtly change, with the introduction of a new character. Loud, disturbing music pounds at your ears. Astronomy For Insects attacks all of your senses until somehow it gets to that place inside you where you feel most vulnerable.
The performers move and twitch, making perfect use of their weird and wonderful costumes. One character escapes her wheelchair with some crutches given to her by Santa. Another character plays an accordion that produces screams instead of music.
The production is an impressive achievement, but I will admit to leaving the theatre quite confused. While the darkness of the piece is engrossing, it did have the tendency to become rather samey. A little more light to contrast the dark would help matters, as would a tad more clarity in places. Without this, I'd anticipate audiences finding Astronomy For Insects a difficult prospect. The few who stick with it will, however, find it quite a haunting experience.
