Interactive staging a full-bodied delight
The Creamery, Java Dance Company, Hannah Playhouse, July 7.
Whey hey! If you weren’t here on opening night, you missed a treat.
The full house rocked! This work is the third in Java’s artisan series, all of which deal with cultures of one kind or another – the first two being Rise (about bread) and The Wine Project (winemaking).
The Creamery deals with cheese production. Previously a highly successful children’s show called Cheese, which was hugely imaginative and extremely silly (in the best possible way), this is a new adult version, although older children will enjoy it too.
The work is choreographed by its director, Sacha Copeland, and the talented cast – Emma Coppersmith, Lauren Carr, Natalie Hona, Charley Davenport and Tristan Carter – are credited as being the creators.
On entering, the audience find on their seats one of those horrible hats that prevents hair getting into food preparation. It is a measure of Java’s charm that, unasked, almost all the audience put them on!
The two composers, Tristan Carter and Charlie Davenport, play live onstage throughout and are absolutely integral to the show’s success. Utterly professional, their throwaway ease of performance, masks extremely skilled musicianship.
As the work unfolds, we watch various relationships in some cases curdle, while others, after much wrangling, come together and blend rather well.
Java is expert at nonthreatening, humorous audience interaction.
Bread and cheese is handed out and shared, white ‘‘slip’’ is painted on various enraptured audience faces, while another is persuaded to take over stirring the simmering pot.
At one point, the entire audience stands up and joins in a fast-clapping, air-punching routine.
There is not a lot of actual dance in the production, although there is loads of movement and ‘‘business’’.
You could say Java has made a mountain of cheese out of a very small amount of butter.
For the actual premise of the show is slight. But this seems churlish, given the wonderful build towards the hysterical finale, where adults return to delightful and delighted childhood, as they heave handfuls of salt, herbs and bunches of parsley at the cast and those sitting on stage.
Although by this time no one is really sitting. Everyone is up dancing. Worth the price of admission. – Ann Hunt