Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 27th July 2017
Split Second Heroes is a contemporary dance production under the choreography of Gabrielle Nankivell and part of the inSPACE Program. The program grants the opportunity for new and experimental works to receive support and development, which was used in Split Second Heroes’ case to bring further production to last night’s world premiere.
The show is a vibrant production with a heavy focus on light and colour to share moments of nostalgia, science, human connections and dreams. The three performers are named and dressed as Black (Nankivell), White (Luke Smiles), and Grey (Vincent Crowley), with Grey leading the spoken word aspects. Black and White then presented the opposites through their movements, theme music, and expressions.
The overall dance components were well performed by the entire cast. Smiles’ facial animation successfully added layers and humour to his character of White, which brough out greater detail and focus to his movements. Nankivell’s Black is a more serious role as she skilfully conveys the darker elements within the themes.
The tales behind the show, as spoken predominantly by Crowley, worked nicely to guide the presentation and to neatly reveal some of the conceptual thought processes behind the show and its experimental nature. The addition of small, colourful props further assisted this with direct references to the objects and their role within the production.
A definite highlight to the production was the lighting work by Benjamin Cisterne. The positioning of the lights and use of colour beautifully added both depth and height to the show. The shapes and movements of the dancers were expanded out through the shadows crafted and provided a delightful show of colour to the stage. The visual work with the lighting set up was a vivid and particularly well designed aspect to the show.
The small team for Split Second Heroes have provided a solid show with influence from all involved across the multiple levels of the production. The show runs through the weekend in the Space Theatre at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Reviewed by Alex Dunkin
Twitter: @AlexDunkin
Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: 27th-29th July 2017
Duration: 60 mins
Tickets: $29 – $36
Bookings: Adelaide Festival Centre
https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/events/split-second-heroes/
Photo Credit: Chris Herzfeld Camlight Productions
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