Surreal, wondrous world enchants and entertains
HUSBAND and wife duo Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone bring Air Play , the whimsical mashup of circus and performance art, to the Regent Theatre.
As the name would suggest, this piece uses air as their medium to delight and enchant the audience.
It is an element so crucial to life and movement, we forget how playful, grounding and basic it can also be.
This is an evening that combines billowing fabrics — reminiscent of flames dancing in a fire, mimicking wind or evoking the forms of jellyfish — with balloons of all sizes, flying umbrellas, even more balloons and two quirky and charming storytellers!
Can they fit any more in?
Air Play culminates in an enormous snow globe, which ultimately concludes this lighthearted piece in paying homage to the power of air. All is brought to life before our eyes, immersing us into their surreal and wondrous world.
Bloom and Gelsone’s cheekiness and playfulness is infectious and has the audience not only captivated, but partaking as well.
Two unwitting participants plucked from the stalls were charged with capturing the many balloons the duo let loose in the previous part — the younger of the two doing better than the other, I have to say!
The reaction from the children was sheer joy and wonderment.
For us older people in the audience, it allowed us to stop worrying about adulting for a moment and join them.
Who knew (or remembered) how hilarious batting a balloon into the air was.
Quite simply, Air Play is exquisite and gorgeous, with a touch of clowning around thrown in for good measure.