In what is Protein’s sharpest and funniest work thus far, six members of the Facebook generation search for friendship and love. What follows is social networking animated with tremendous physical and verbal wit, and interspersed with downright sadness.
LOL traditionally stands for ‘lots of love’ but many more meanings are suggested in the programme. ‘Log off loser’ is appropriate when taking in Sally Marie’s feeble attempts to contact her Jeff, who is certainly not a quarter of what he is supposed to be. He tells porkies and she is building him up in her imagination.
The contacting and connecting between all six dancers is done in a manner best described as insistent. They grip each other, thrust, probe, push repeatedly and leap at each other with reckless abandon. Yet choreographer Luca Silvestrini has fashioned significant invisible barriers around them. Andy Pink’s soundtrack makes excellent use of keyboard-thumping and the pings, zings and tings associated with messaging.
The dialogue is derived from contact with the interested public at research workshops across the country and, of course, through online communication. It is alive with flashing ironies and is frequently delivered as a stream of consciousness. Kip Johnson has much to do and say, and he does get breathless, but who wouldn’t? He has a marvellously discordant duet with the live wire Fernanda Prata.
LOL (Lots of Love) could have been a shallow exercise, but is far from it.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Content is copyright © 2012 The Stage Media Company Limited unless otherwise stated.
All RSS feeds are published for personal, non-commercial use. (What’s RSS?)
