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The Ship Song
The Ship Song
Teatre de l'Abast and Zero en Conducta - Rob
By Lorna Irvine
Fusing physical theatre with puppetry, Rob has the kind of poignancy that is often all too rare in theatre that's created with children in mind. When the titular Rob discovers that he is the sole survivor of a shipwreck, he has to survive using only his imagination, and a few bananas.
Moving seamlessly between pathos, dark surrealism and a little slapstick, Rob has a languid pace, punctuated by a few surprises and some sophisticated mimesis. Ramon Rodenas moves with the easy poise and grace of a flamenco dancer, as he fashions a 'friend' from a skull, teasingly covers his modesty with the ship's sail like a coy pin-up, and, in one simple but effective scene framed with blue lighting, appears to move underwater, emulating the bob and weave of a fish he finds.
There is a little dancing, and a lively chorus of Fly Me To The Moon, in spite of his circumstances. Death seems to mockingly surround him, as the ship itself resembles the bare bones of a skeleton, and the skull becomes an uneasy companion and memento mori.Conventions of theatre are also played with, as Shakespearian tropes become something else to mock- Rob's wide-eyed call and response sequence calls to mind Puck at his most mischievous.
The puppetry presented here is both sinister and funny, and it is almost overbearing that Rob sets his alarm clock to endure his new routine with each passing day, trying to bring meaning and purpose to his seemingly hopeless situation. Rodenas is at once child and adult in one body as Rob, trying to navigate his ordeal with good humour and skill. Obvious parallels can be found in recent stories of migrants trying to cross to safety- the ending is bittersweet, thought-provoking, and will undoubtedly provide discourse for schools and families .
Rob interrogates mental health issues like loneliness and the plight of displaced people with a beautifully judged central performance, and storytelling that never feels forced, trite or sentimental. It is both contemporary, and absolutely timeless.
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