Kiss & Cry, created by choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey and filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael (who also directs the show), had a very short run at Canadian Stage and will be followed by an equally short run of their newest creation, Cold Blood.  This is such a unique piece of theatre.  Hands dancing on miniature sets being filmed and then projected onto a screen.  The piece was funny and touching, surprising and exhilarating.  The precision that is required to pull this off is mind boggling.  On stage, not only do we have the male and female performers but also crew filming the minutiae and another person silently directing the dance.

It was fascinating to watch the screen and become so invested in the piece that at times, the hands truly did appear to be miniature people.  You felt moved by the hands just as you would watching someone’s face.  What was equally beautiful to watch was what the performers were doing in the half-light to create this wonderland of fingers.  The performers were profoundly connected, emotionally involved, and they used their whole bodies to energize the stories their hands told.  Watching the energy exchange between everyone involved in creating this piece on stage was quite an extraordinary thing to experience.

Kiss & Cry’s touching script was created by Thomas Gunzig and tells the story of Gisele.  She examines her life and loves and it is as winding a road as the miniature train set we watch meander through the landscapes.  We go back to her first brush with love, a boy that touches her hand for mere seconds on a crowded train.  The story is narrated in dulcet tones by Toby Regbo with a blend of classical music and re-imagined love songs.  This piece was a meditation.  I was transported to another place, and was left in absolute awe of the creativity and inspired beauty of this place.

Cold Blood explores the last moments we experience before we die. It will be the North American premiere of the production.

For more infotmation, please visit:www.canadianstage.com

 

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