Five in the Morning

Published Monday 27 February 2006 at 15:55 by Katie Phillips

Three performers in swim wear are told by voice-overs what to do - where to go, how to get there, how to move, what to say.

There is also a huge faceless, breathing blob of Catholicism, some lines about the pope, some top hats and nightmarey shadows and a Chinese gymnast who is forced to keep getting better as well as other intriguing visual treats.

At the end there is a bad dance scene and a pleasing under water discoverer section with white dive suits, flippers and a smoke machine.

This instruction-to-move work is trademark of Rotozaza who are forming their own school of theatre art by dissecting the nature of the performance itself to explore chosen themes.

In places, the performance is endearing, enjoyable and probing - Greg McLaren and Silvia Mercuriali are both great to watch. However, it is way too long - an hour and a half straight through of nothing but the same is too much.

Whilst Five in the Morning throws up some interesting observations on the voyeuristic big-brother-esque society we live in, it has difficulty in meshing the different parts of the performance into a conceivable whole. The audience laughs at the funny parts, but is left flailing once the jokes wear off.

Perhaps I am missing a point in this piece. A big, profound intelligent point. Perhaps that is my problem, but perhaps for the theatre paying audience, it is the company’s.