At the heart of this new physical theatre piece by Eléonore Nicolas is
the notion that, in the midst of our daily routines and adult
concerns, we grown-ups have forgotten how to play. Developing this
theme through a series of vignettes, we follow three female performers
(Fiona Dowling, Rosie O’Regan and Keshet Zur) as they embody women at
different stages of life struggling to alleviate the boredom of
everyday existence.

To begin we see them in the classroom, throwing paper airplanes and
dreaming up a ‘Finger Olympics’ (amusingly portrayed in a video
projection above their heads), whilst an unseen teacher’s chalk
scratches mercilessly away. With little alteration to their uniforms,
the schoolgirls are seamlessly transformed into office drones, then
channel flicking couch-potatoes, then fitness video fanatics
hopelessly trying to stretch their anxieties away.

A final sequence sees a number of water buckets utilised in an almost
ritualistic bathing session, culminating in a liberal dousing of
bodies and a rousing rendition of childhood songs. Though by far the
most arresting moment in the piece, this climactic reclamation of the
free-spirit still feels somewhat restrained. This is partly an issue
of space, the tiny stage of The Pearse Centre never really affording
enough room for manoeuvre. But one still feels that the envelope could
have been pushed a little further in liberating the wild rumpus in all
of us.

Tom Donegan