https://youtu.be/G76ezrzIiPU Choreographed by Giovanni Zazzera Review by Marina Funcasta CARTS - Studio: Tickets ★★★★★ As a former performer myself, I was initially struck by the directness of Alexandre Lipaux's facial e…
As a former performer myself, I was initially struck by the directness of Alexandre Lipaux's facial expressions while watching Negare. Singling out members of the audience, Negare is definitely not the type of show one enters and hopes to hide behind the veil of spectatorship; there is a clear attempt to ensure we are seen in the act of seeing, establishing a relationship that ebbs and flows between diverging levels of awareness.
Initially, the relationship Lipaux creates is inclusive. The stage, billowing with a golden carpet, exposes itself through Lipaux's coy gestures. It is unsurprising that Giovanni Zazzera is so intent on exploring the layers of the self, especially within the performative genre; performers, well accustomed to being on stage, shield their vulnerability under the guise of a superficial character, much like Lipaux collects his clothing, buttoning up his shirt. Leaning into the camp, Lipaux's facial expressions were reminiscent of Nickolas Grace, whose eyes famously retained the power to fascinate and unsettle. To be sure, gazing straight into the audience's eyes merits a sense of bravery, which is deftly upheld.
That is until Lipaux over-reveals himself. The piece suddenly shifted in movements that emote shame, guilt, and fear. Gradually stripping, the light and music sink into a melancholy blue as Lipaux remains floor-bound in a sequence demonstrating marked fluidity. Having coquettishly eaten a carrot in the first section, the carrots that hitherto seemed meaningless snacks now develop a connection to his pre-lapsarian world. Becoming a symbol of the forbidden fruit, Lipaux now holds onto the carrot as if he were holding onto dear life. It is witty how fickle and changeable this swift shift reveals the human mind to be.
Self-understanding, in the fullest sense of the world, is almost impossible without the company of others. Our changing demeanours, attitudes, and emotional realities flicker as the energy we receive from our observers also mutates. Negare created for itself a vibrant canvas of human emotions, brimming with slashes of colours and shades. The ending, haunting in its majestic and enigmatic glory, lifts the piece to an epic level—and for a half-hour show at 2 p.m., that's pretty impressive, if you ask me.
Marina is halfway through an English literature degree at Edinburgh University, wherein she has been (considerably) involved in the drama scene: enjoying performing with their Shakespeare Company shows, but also modern takes on Arthur Miller. However, Marina's interests are wide-ranging under the theatre genre – enjoying abstract, more contemporary takes on shows (with a keen interest in Summerhall)
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