Presented by Restless Dance Theatre
Reviewed on 4 March 2017
Gathering in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, we are instructed to “lose yourselves, but not each other” as Intimate Space begins. It’s apt advice, and this poignant work traverses public and private spaces with an audience that can comfortably fit inside an elevator.
Two charming porters introduce themselves with a sense of whimsy and over the next hour, performers appear and disappear as we uncover scenes spread throughout the building
In the basement laundry we witness a frenetic performance by two dancers who look like they’ve emerged from the set of ‘Breaking Bad’. It’s in stark contrast to an earlier vignette, a wonderfully tender duet in a private room that is so intimate we feel like voyeurs.
As the show progresses, it becomes clear that we are not the only ones used to being in the audience. Hotel employees move through the lives of others unobserved, and we soon find ourselves listening in horror as two of them make fun of a disabled hotel guest.
Intimate Space directly addresses the sense of invisibility that can accompany disability and the effects of this are explored as the performance reaches its climax. We are rejoined by the entire cast for a beautifully choreographed finale in the most public of spaces to celebrate beauty in diversity.
Immaculately produced and studded with wonderful performances, Intimate Space is a triumph that is at turns mischievous, tender and outraged but is deeply moving throughout.
Reviewed by Alexis Buxton-Collins
Photo Credit: Shane Reid
Venue: Hilton Hotel
Season: 7-8/3, 15-19/3
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: Sold Out
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