Justitia

Published Friday 11 May 2007 at 11:05 by Lyndsey Winship

In her latest dance theatre piece, Justitia, Jasmin Vardimon matches narrative clarity with astonishing visual imagery in a balance that is notoriously difficult to achieve. Where the text in much dance theatre relies on a clumsy mix of memories and observations devised by the performers, Justitia wisely uses a script, by writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz, which provides a solid structure for Vardimon’s movement to enhance, explore and illuminate.

The premise is a murder trial, where we are presented with a number of variations on the events of the fatal evening. Dancers Paul Blackman and YunKrung Song - playing the victim and the accused - get the chance to really test their versatility as actor/performers and both come off well. Also impressive is Victoria Fox as the defence lawyer, who must carry the narrative as well as throwing herself into the extreme physicality of Vardimon’s choreography.

Just as Vardimon realises the limitations of movement to convey a detailed narrative, she capitalises on its power, beyond words, to cleverly construct or deconstruct characters. And she manages the changing pace and mood of the piece, from humour to horror, without losing coherence.

Integral to the show is the brilliant rotating set, divided into three interconnected spaces, and dramatically lit. One wall is riddled with holes and pierced by sharp shafts of light, each looking like the sword of Lady Justice herself. The production values are high, but that would be irrelevant without substance. Luckily, Justitia is a piece of powerful choreography with that rare commodity - genuine theatrical appeal.