A Simple Space | Adelaide Fringe 2018 | Review

February 25, 2018

A Simple Space | Adelaide Fringe 2018 Review

by Catherine Leo of Catherine Leo Photography

A day after viewing the brilliant ‘A Simple Space’ by Gravity and Other Myths, at the Royal Croquet Club, it’s still sitting with me in a wonderful way. I’m remembering the many moments of feeling intrigued and amazed at the choreography and hopefully the photos below capture the intricate physical web woven, as performers climb over each other, use hands as stepping stones, shoulders to stand on, and bums to jump upon!

The title of the show is so fitting. Everything happens in a square of carpet, at a guess about 6 metres square. Lit by spotlights in the corner, with a percussionist playing live throughout (when he’s not in an early skipping routine that may or may not have him losing the strip-skipping challenge and ending up nude while he skips! Note: He was well covered by his hands, but this was a cheeky start to the show!) the troupe entertained us with diverse routines, usually with a different performer leading each one.

Some of my favourites included when the two women were turned into human skipping ropes, being flung around, then caught in someone’s arms, before being thrown to another and then back into skipping mode while someone jumps over them! If that sounds confusing to read, watching it can feel equally so as your eyes move from performer, or pair of performers, to another, around this ‘simple space’. I also loved seeing bodies weave into towers where legs might be visible, heads tucked in, arms supporting and you just don’t know how many people are involved!

My 12 year old’s favourite moment part of the show was when the percussionist hit the stage and used his body as the drum… clicking and slapping his way through the routine, leaving himself covered in red splotches as a result!

Competition was a regular theme, starting with the ‘strip-skipping’ that I mentioned above, or the breath-holding contest, or the back-flip challenge, or a highlight for me when the two petite female cast-members chose a male volunteer from the audience to come on stage, and each was lifted up in a baby hold by the female. It took a moment for me to realise that this wasn’t just a 5 second stunt, which in itself would have been impressive that they could be lifted in this way….but no, it was a competition between the women which went on for what seemed like 90 seconds or more!

I thoroughly recommend this show and have vowed to catch any future performance by Gravity and Other Myths. Such professionals, and originating from Adelaide too which is just amazing. You’ll have a hundred ‘wow’ moments and be mesmerised from start to finish.

For more information about this show and ticket bookings, please see the Adelaide Fringe website here.

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