European physical and mime theatre seems especially adept at capturing both the absurd and the normal of daily tears and joys. Visite, conceived and directed by Riccardo Pippa of the Italian company, Teatro dei Gordi, condenses an entire lifetime into a single room. Performed almost entirely without words, this 70-minute physical theatre piece revolves around a couple as well as their families and friends who pass through with love, loss and transformation.
“We’d like to tell a simple, common story, to capture, if possible, the mythical underpinnings of an everyday life close to us”, claimed by Pippa. This Milan-based ensemble builds this domestic universe through commedia dell’arte, ensemble movement and their distinctive papier-mâché masks to illustrate the gentleness, absurdity and uncanny bits of normal lives.
While the overall flow feels effortless, it can broadly be divided into several phases signalled by shifts in music genres (Sound Design: Luca De Marinis). Pop music accompanies youth; a shamanic background music underscores infinite pursuit of pleasure; flamenco sits for courtship and love, while classical music, of course, marks the later years of life.
Among these phases, the six performers (Cecilia Campani, Giovanni Longhin, Andrea Panigatti, Sandro Pivotti, Maria Vittoria Scarlattei, Matteo Vitanza) swiftly move in and out around the stage featuring a bed, a single sofa, a rack and a massive white fabric panel hung from the loft. The movement arrangements are a step beyond brilliance when the ensemble performs a repeated sequence of greeting, hugging, kissing and sitting down, while ambience gradually shifts from merry to haunting, paired with a gradually slowed tempo.
Another sequence delicately captures the silly moments in daily life, either finding a single earring under the bed or secretly sniffing the underwear of someone you love. It doesn’t feel sleazy at all, but rather warm and funny. Together with some humorous moments, such as mixing up a physical alarm clock with a jar of face cream, the show indeed conveys Pippa’s declaration. However, at times, the humour feels not quite sharp enough, nor the silliness quite warm enough, which actually may downplay that declaration.
The last part feels a bit off, when the white fabric is ripped away, and the set transitions from a domestic bedroom into a retirement home. While the intention is admirable, the pace and rhythm of the movements no longer quite match the show’s fluidity in its earlier sequences. The final moments also come off as quite sudden, with two elderly women walking arm-in-arm, and the background classical music just cuts off abruptly, leaving the audience wondering about the whole point not just of the ending, but also of the whole production.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
