3 WEIRD WOMEN. To 25 August.

Edinburgh - Fringe

3 WEIRD WOMEN
devised by The Company from Leeala

The Company at Demarco Roxy Art House To 25 August 2003
6pm
Runs 50min No interval

TICKETS: 0131 556 3102
Review: Timothy Ramsden

The drama's best when it sticks to music and dance.A fine, spacious venue for this dance/drama, with live violin echoing round the vaults and its five dancers exploring the wide, stone-surrounded environment.

Uncunningly disguised as Emmm we have - er, could this be the wicked Lady of the Scottish play? If so, she's apparently merged in with a short story by Leeala and the performers' personal trauma - all of this melding to echo Japanese poet Basho's nostrum "You only live twice: once when you are born and once when you look death in the face". Merry soul, this get-a-life Basho.

What we get is three herbally-named and slightly querulous Weird Sisters, attractive young women - as has been allowed in some Macbeths. Somewhat who, whatever the conflict among themselves, nevertheless paddle off to rescue Ms Emmm and, it would seem anyone else in need of a spot of salvation.

Amid their adventures, comes the sublime Indian dance of Priya Sreekumar. What it means is slightly clouded by her representing Life and Death - one of dance/drama's more all-encompassing roles perhaps.

But the dance is always enjoyable in this brief piece - not too short, but not too long either: a rare enough niceness of judgement. Quite how it relates to the story by Leala (aka director Lee Gershuny) must wait on publishers or samizdat circulation processes. However, the performance can be enjoyed as skilful, beautiful work in its own right.

More than the spoken sections - mercifully quite brief. These clunk along, words often being forced into place to lead to a rhyme. I cold have done without them in favour of more movement - or, indeed, from Niroshini Thambar's sweeping score.

Nutmeg: Skye Reynolds
Sage: Elena Masoero
Thyme: Roxana Pope
Emmm: Merav Israel
Life/Death: Priya Sreekumar

Devised, Directed & Choreographed by The Company with Lee Gershuny
Music composed and performed by: Niroshini Thambar

2003-08-30 13:43:19