Feeling the force of fuerzabruta at the Roundhouse

Roundhouse feels the force of fuerzabruta

Fuerzabruta - The Roundhouse
By Tom Foot

FUERZABRUTA – literally brute force – is a festive spectacle of dance and circus performed with superhuman athleticism above and around the craning necks of the audience to a thundering soundtrack.
It is one of the most exciting and memorable nights I have had, in any capacity. So rich and strange – an absolute must see.
Walking into the new Roundhouse it was hard not to be impressed. This is a space to rival any West End theatre. But the buzz of approval among the audience was tinged with a sense of foreboding on Monday night.
The reputation of Argentine director Diqui James precedes his latest production. His company De La Guarda last graced the Chalk Farm theatre in 1999 with Villa Villa. It was the longest-running show at the historic venue and gave rise to a new genre of unsettling physical theatre such as Stomp and more recently the Blue Man Group.
There was the customary supping of champagne, munching on canapés and jovial pre-show chitchat but this was no jolly sit back with Alan Bennett.
The dreaded audience participation was on the cards. With the seats removed before the production, we were facing standing up for over an hour and worse still, getting wet.
Wisps of red smoke filtered out from behind the awning as we filed into the arena. The less adventurous took their positions on the fringes by the pillars while the others went straight for the middle.
There was a carnival atmosphere as the lights dimmed. It felt more like a rave when strobe lights illuminated the room and a disheveled man entered walking backwards on a giant treadmill.
A mild panic swept through the tightly packed arena as moveable stages and props bulldozed through.
The smug grins of the cowards on the fringes would soon turn, later whiplashed by billowing sheets as two acrobats wheeled and flashed across the walls. There is no safe spot in this show.
What followed was a mesmerizing assault on the senses. But for all the brute force on display, it was a few minutes of serenity that was most memorable. Out of the darkness, a gargantuan paddling pool lowered from the roof.
Arms raised, palms outstretched, we watched agog as four half-naked sea nymphs dived about above us, body surfing on the ripples – they pressed against the base looking down on us. Spellbound, the woman beside me gasped: “I want to be in there.” We all did.
Diqui James grew up under the Argentinean junta. He was involved in the protests against the forced disappearance of more than 30,000 dissidents at the time and was part of the explosion of creativity that returned with democracy in October 1983.
James’s early work was overtly political but Fuerzabruta is thought-provoking in a different sense. Buoyed with excitement and optimism, I left half hypnotized. Had we all slumbered there, while those visions did appear? Ah well, back to the world of dreams.

Until July 30
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