The Table is an exciting new dance production devised by Christine Devaney, Maria Oller & Jo Timmins. The production explores questions of ‘The Table’ as an allegory for the ‘world we’ve built together.’ Throughout, this show asks where such tables came from, who gets a seat at them, and what may occur at these tables.
The multi-faceted nature of this production made it diverse and impactful. A range of dramatic techniques were utilised to create a complex and interesting performance. This performance was like a collage in many ways, with its incorporation of a spectrum of dramatic techniques, in many instances the music acted as the ‘glue’ holding this collage together. David Jones and Shea Martin’s instrumentals, singing, and sound effects secured the tone of the production. From creating suspense in moments of arising conflict to illuminating the atmosphere during scenes with comedic beats, the sound design anchored the production, ensuring that the plot did not feel sporadic or underdeveloped. This was supported by the staging and lighting also sustaining audience immersion.
Though the experience came as a surprise, the interactive promenade performance that gave an unexpectedly early start to the production was amusing and entirely successful in building intrigue, with a designated pre-show bar and waiting tables becoming part of the stage pulling mingling audience members into the production. Having been approached by two separate performers, I can say that they displayed impressive improvisation skills in the face of the audience’s undoubtedly challenging obliviousness.
The ensuing performance — which varied depending on invitations audience members were assigned upon arrival — wholly captured attention in preparation for the main performance. Having queued up, in colour-coded lines that myself and some others had presumed were a novel health & safety feature, audience members were directed to various routes to the main stage. The first of those was for people with purple scorpion invitations to head down our stairs. I briefly saw a scene of a table being constructed that baffled my neighbour, who had a green invitation and saw nothing of the sort, when I discussed with her after.
Another noteworthy aspect of the performance was the inclusion and accessibility efforts. The most impactful example for myself was the incorporated BSL, performed by Emery Hunter. I thoroughly appreciated how this was considered when devising the staging and script, which resulted in Hunter’s performance being seamlessly woven rather than a supplementary, sidelined feature.
Overall, there were many moments in this performance that were exceptionally impressive. However, though the use of repetition was at many points interesting, it did also seem a little overused in a manner that dulled its effectiveness.
The production wove together contemporary dance, spoken text, live music, and ensemble acting to delve into a diverse range of socio-anthropological themes. The episodic, symbolic format of dance theatre was used to map nuanced perspectives on connection, interaction, competition, conflicting desires, inclusion, and invitation. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Table, and appreciated the invitation.
Production image by Peter Dibdin.