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| Liz Lea in "RED" |
Devised and performed by Liz Lea
Choreographers:
Vicki van Hout, Virginia Ferris, Martin del Amo and Liz Lea
Dramaturg/Mentor:
Brian Lucas - Original
Music composed by Alexander HunterCinematographer: Nino Tamburri - Lighting Designer: Karen Norris
Costumes designed by Liz Lea, Brian Lucas, Bruce Scott and Brooke Giles
Ql2 Theatre,
Gorman House, Canberra
Performance
on 11th March, 2018 reviewed by Bill Stephens
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| Liz Lea in "RED" |
How
remarkable that such a painful affliction as Endometriosis, could inspire such
a beautiful work as “Red”. Endometriosis
is a condition which affects a woman’s reproductive organs. Current Canberra
Artist of the Year, Liz Lea, has suffered from this condition for the last 20
years, though few outside her closest friends would have known.
During this
time she has pursued an extraordinary career as a dancer/choreographer and
mentor. How she managed to achieve this, and the price paid, is revealed in her
astonishingly personal, and occasionally confronting, new dance work, “Red”,
which premiered in the QL2 Theatre.
Lea’s career
as a professional dancer has ranged through commercial dance, Indian classical
and contemporary dance. All these styles are represented in “Red”, which
despite encompassing input from many collaborators including three
choreographers, a dramaturg, a composer, various designers, and a
cinematographer, in addition to her own contribution, emerges as a remarkably
coherent, powerful and moving dance-theatre work.
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| Liz Lea in "RED" |
“Red” commences
gently with a beautiful filmed sequence featuring Lea, red silk billowing
behind her , slowly moving across a bridge to a haunting version of Gluck’s aria
from “Orpheus and Eurydice”. A male voice-over intones “She thought she could
have it all, love, family, travel and a white picket fence”. This striking introduction morphs seamlessly
into a series of compelling sequences, some involving Lea addressing the
audience directly as details of her struggle with Endometriosis begin to
emerge.
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| Liz Lea performs "She Bangs" in "RED". |
A powerfully
athletic sequence, choreographed by Vicki van Hout, expressed her frustration
as the undiagnosed symptoms began to appear. Virginia Ferris choreographed a
flirty, defiant showgirl sequence to Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”, while Lea
herself choreographed a quasi-nightmare sequence in which twelve mature dancers
in sparkling black dresses carrying red fans circled around her as she
succumbed to the effects of prescription drugs.
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| Liz Lea and dancers in 'RED" |
Each section
involved costume and hairstyle changes which were skilfully accomplished by
Lea, whose professionalism shone through every element of her performance, from
her arresting narrations, delivered with confidence and humour, to her beautifully polished dance technique,
notable for its innate elegance and
impeccable sense of line.
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| Liz Lea in 'RED" |
As the
performance moved towards its climax, Lea appeared wearing an elegant
full-length red coat. She sat down, applied red lipstick to her lips and bright
red paint to her fingernails, while gently confiding the advice given to her by
doctors treating her condition. Suddenly she stood up, let the coat fall to the
ground, revealing an elegant short black cocktail dress with killer-heels Jimmy
Choo shoes.
As the
haunting Gluck aria from the beginning of the show recommenced, Lea moved to
the centre of the stage, where, standing in a tight, bright, spotlight, she
began a slow, mesmerising, beautiful and defiant dance, choreographed by Martin
del Amo, which allowed the audience a moment to reflect on what had gone
before, marvel at the resilience and bravery of the performer they had been watching,
and be moved by the determination and grace with which she faces the future.
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| Liz Lea with Greg Barratt and David Turbayne in "RED" |
All photos by Lorna Sim