Words: Elodie Marriott
Image: Jamie Dennis

4 stars

Intimate and ambitious, Collaborator makes a great case for circus being the perfect art form to express the wonderful experience of human connection.

After a long hiatus, Alex and Charlotte return to the stage with clever choreography that translates into a visual language the audience understand innately. Their act portrays the evolution of a relationship in which, like in circus, there are always risks. For both to have a chance at success, participants need to trust, surrender, and cultivate the strength to support their partner. 

The couple are entrancing. It’s clear to see the confidence they have in each other. Hanging from a suspended metal frame, at times just by the tops of the feet, they are in constant physical communication. During ‘The Dark Days’ section, they follow an invisible thread in the dark and shuffle along a cliff edge, their movements heavy, cautious, and signalling real danger. The control they have over their bodies and ability to transfer weight with ease is extraordinary, especially in contrast with their seemingly total weightlessness in complex and demanding elevated holds. 

Collaborator, beautiful, intense and sincere, is a must-watch.

Collaborator
Pentlandite Theatre at Pleasance at EICC
17.00
6-22 Aug