Theatre review: Catherine Diverrès/Via Negativa

Published on Monday 8 March 2010 18:07

CATHERINE DIVERRÈS **** TRAMWAY, GLASGOW VIA NEGATIVA *** CCA, GLASGOW

WHEN Catherine Diverrs's double bill draws to a close, you almost don't want the applause to start. So many images have passed before your eyes that a moment of stillness to process it all would be most welcome. Based in France, Diverrs last visited the New Territories festival in 2005, and it's good to see her back. Although no longer performing herself, the choreographer sends intelligent, mature dancers on stage to do her bidding.

First up was Stance 11, a solo work originally danced by Diverrs but now beautifully performed by Carole Gomes. For 25 minutes she held sway over us, covering the stage with fluid movement in her Martha Graham-style dress.

In the background, the poetry of Pier Paolo Pasolini hinted at Gomes's emotional state, but in the absence of a translation we were left to make up our own stories.

SAN followed, a piece filled with raw energy, complicated emotions and memorable imagery. Inspired by German visual artist Oskar Schlemmer, the choreography is peppered with bizarre esoteric moments, yet these served not to alienate but to engage.

At times, SAN takes on a hellish quality, as the three men dance furiously behind a thin black gauze, with dim lighting and industrial noise blasting from overhead. But later it is beguiling in its beauty when grains of rice are thrown from the dancers' hands, creating swirling airborne patterns before scattering across the floor. Diverrs's work may not be easy to interpret, but trying to learn her language is a fascinating way to spend an evening.

Visiting the UK for the first time, Slovenia's Via Negativa took to the CCA stage and informed us that "theatre is always fun". Presumably this was said with a touch of irony, as there was no fun to be had in their New Territories show, Four Deaths.

Instead, each of the four performers chose their favourite European performing artist, and invited us into their world.

The late Pina Bausch, Forced Entertainment's Tim Etchells, Spanish choreographer-cum-visual artist Maria Ribot and Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovicj all came under the spotlight.

In principal, Four Deaths was a good idea, and the factual information imparted about each artist was certainly interesting. But less effective was the manner in which they were physically represented.

The Bibot homage, which featured a dancer lying naked in a pool of red paint with her legs open, bordered on gynaecological, while the Etchells segment featured Via Negativa's lone male applauding endlessly – enough to make your arm muscles ache just watching it.

Almost a quarter of the show was given over to three women from local commercial cleaning company Spotless, who were charged with de-cluttering the stage after each "death".

As they swept and mopped efficiently, you couldn't help but wonder if that wasn't a more worthwhile way to earn a living than the artistry going on around them.