Packed with daring movement sequences and contemplative metaphors, I was left dazed and happy. Tightrope is a sensitive analysis of the invisible beliefs in our lives that get us through our daily turmoil, from faith, to luck and beyond, and it was a pleasure to see female led male performers willing to explore this with sheer openness. Of late, I am noticing more and more new works consisting of lists of opinions presented as monologues. This is no exception which shows a slight lack of ingenuity. Maybe by breaking down and intertwining the monologue elements you would lose the predictability; however this is only a minor problem when it is tied together (pun very much intended) by complex movement skills and rope/string motifs. These are open to interpretation; are we strapped to our beliefs? Or are they the ropes that hold us together? Who knows, but leaving this up for discussion has left me thinking about this piece long after the bows. I felt safe watching each cast member be thrown around inventively, and each sequence cleverly sewn together for a brilliant finale. With the staging bare and simple, and with choreography like that why would you want otherwise, I feel this piece is very solid groundwork for something bigger. Tightrope is an excellent production which could (and should) be performed anywhere. Go see it!

 

Daniel Thomas