Top show, shame about Jeremy Irons
Voices of the Amazon Sadler’s Wells
Is there an audience anywhere in the world so ignorant that, when watching shadows descend on a backdrop of trees, they must be told by a narrator that “the forest has become a place of darkened shadows”? Or, when watching two characters caress each other on stage, need to be reminded how much they care for one another?
Ella Spira and Pietra Mello-pittman from Sisters Grimm, the creators of
Voices of the Amazon, obviously thought so, and have layered what would otherwise be a stirring story with an inane narration that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. To add to the indignity, the narrator is Jeremy Irons, whose silky tones would normally be a welcome addition to any theatre experience but here, come off as contrived and patronising.
The narration would be easier to forgive if the story was confusing or the dancers not eloquent storytellers but neither is the case. The plot is Alice
in Wonderland set in the Amazonian rainforest, except instead of a naive girl, there’s a hapless water sprite, and instead of the Cheshire Cat there’s a tribe of naughty monkeys, a hostile tribe and a shaman who promises to heal the sprite’s sick sister but instead ends up poisoning her.
When the ailing sister clutches her stomach, we get it: she’s sick (hush, Mr Irons). Some of the narration is so pointless, it creates even more of a separation between stage and viewer, stripping the audience of their own interpretations. It’s boring being told how and what to feel.
Nevertheless, Voices of the Amazon offers an interesting twist on a familiar tale and the cast play it out perfectly, using the choreography to emphasise key plot points. The performers’ talents extend beyond acting: the 11 cast members give lively, characterful performances that showcase thrilling traditional Brazilian dancing and powerhouse vocals, particularly from the captivating Kay Elizabeth, who imbues her role as the shaman with warmth and strength. Individually, they’re captivating but together they’re thrilling: when they come together en masse in rousing song, it’s easy to forget they come from 11 different parts of the globe.
It’s difficult to know whether Mello-pittman and Spira added a voice-over because they wanted to add another layer to the story or because they feared it was confusing.
Usually the most beautiful things are complex and mysterious, and anyone wondering about the intricacies of the plotline need only focus on the rich, nuanced performances of the cast; they tell you everything you need to know.