Naima Khan checks out the much hyped Traces by Le Doigts 7 de la Main
There’s a lot of hype about Le 7 Doigts de la Main. Their shows have been called "Mesmeric" and "Eye-poppingly good" and not just because critics like to get juiced up on adjective phrases. Traces, one of their flagship shows is currently at Peacock Theatre, and invites the audience to get to know the five performers behind the acrobatics.
The performers, four guys and a girl, masters of suspense, virtuosos of physical theatre are also mates. Their long-term friendships and consequently intimate knowledge of one another propels the show. I’m making it sound gooier than it is, but it’s their ability to anticipate the precise, astonishingly rapid movements of their cast mates that gives this show a lot of it’s wow factor.
Part of the audience acquainting themselves with the performers involves a solo section for a few of the performers. Genevieve Morin dons a pretty red dress and embraces her femininity as she twirls, suspended in the air; Philip Rosenberg discovers his own strength with some gripping balancing acts and Antoine Carabienier (who from afar looks a bit like Wolverine) steals the show by whirring like a man transfixed in a shiny Cyr Wheel, brilliantly lit by Nol Van Genuchten
When they come together, their performances are beautifully synchronised and full of camaraderie. A sequence on skateboards, though a little slow, was an impressive display of trust with elements of free running and urban acrobatics. Circus skills with a basketball thrown into the mix is a chance for comedy and again, a display of familiarity and playfulness.
Set in a bunker with impending doom at their door, Traces sees Le 7 doigts de la main go about saying every last thing they want to say and doing everything they want to do. It makes for an eclectic show with a loose narrative (which no one really cares about anyway) and a stream of stunning acrobatics. The performers swing from Chinese Poles, turning their bodies into flags with amazing body strength. They climb to the top and hurtle themselves towards the floor before flying through hoops and balancing one another in seemingly precarious positions.
What Le 7 doigts de la Main really excel at is guiding and manipulating their audience. At times we are bewitched by the speed and skill on stage, sometimes bemused and occasionally fooled. Since seeing the performance, I’ve argued about whether certain moves were deliberate or not and the image of wolverine spinning manically in his own giant halo is unforgettable. These guys deserve the hype.
Tracecs runs at Peacock Theatre until October 30th
Image: Larry Rosenberg
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