The Stage

Veil

Published Tuesday 4 March 2008 at 11:55 by Kevin Berry

Author and director Bob Frith has taken a mighty leap of faith with this story, perhaps the most ambitious in House and Bamboo’s long history.

He has set up many questions to test theatregoers and they are hopefully resolved as the second act unfolds.

Veil should be seen as an attempt by a visual theatre company to put rich layers of narrative onto a story. Questions might not all be answered but audiences will have looked beyond the visual beauty.

Horse and Bamboo’s reputation has been made by creating visually ravishing theatre. Its actors wear full face masks with fixed expressions, though many people in an audience do believe that the expressions change. The actors do not mime or use heavy, elaborate gestures. They communicate their feelings by being clear about the detail of their postures and their body shapes. Most characters are played by different actors during the course of the show, so acknowledging their individual contributions is difficult and an attempt to do so would probably not be welcomed. Their collective artistry is awesome.

Veil is set in Iraq. Western archaeologists are digging up treasures from an ancient civilisation. Twin Arab sisters are separated at birth, one, played by Frances Merriman, is taken in by an Arab family, the other, played by Tracy Bargate, by a Western archaeologist’s family. They wonder who they are and what their awful dreams are about.

Occasional Arabic laments followed by English translations do help understanding, but audiences will need to remain alert and look beyond the enchanting.

Veil is a huge step forward for visual theatre.