push festival

I have to admit to mixed feelings about KAMP, which is on at the Roundhouse as part of the ongoing PuSH Festival. While, I admire the technical wizardry of it all and the attention to detail, I’m afraid its purpose and what it adds to the world is one that leaves me unsure and, maybe, a bit uneasy.

KAMP. Photo: Herman Helle

The setting for The Passion of Joan of Arc, staged at Christ Church Cathedral on Burrard street, lent a aura of rarefied theatricality to this event.  The church's vaulted ceilings, echoing with the buzz of the audience, the polished wood floors and intricate lighting fixtures, the dramatic architecture of the nave itself, with its adjacent alcoves like wings to a stage – these conspired to create a sense of immanent revelation.  Where a black box theatre lets distractions disappear form view, the finely-crafted environment of a church makes the setting itself a player in the drama.

The Passion of Joan...
Maria Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928

Wow – it's supercool to enter the Roundhouse by the train exhibit and use that area as the lobby.  I love it!  However, another audience member said it was a problem since there were no public bathrooms... (A small price to pay, I think.) 

Awkward dance sequences - void of sound and fury signifying nothing

Among a slew of high profile events, So Percussion’s back-to-back performances on the beautiful main floor of Heritage Hall may be PuSh Festival’s hidden gem.

So Percussion

I’m at a loss to describe White Cabin, which is part of this year’s PuSh Festival.

White Cabin

There is in London a tourist trap called the London Dungeon. Amongst its most prized exhibits is something called the Jack the Ripper Experience.

Jerk

First up, point of disclosure: I am SFU alumni with a soft spot for the School for Contemporary Art and was delighted to be part of the première production at the school’s new theatre in the Woodward’s complex.

The Show Must Go On