Crime scene chalked bodies and taped voices of kids talking about things they like start this inclusive show of mime and dance from Curious Seed.
Children are invited from the audience to draw round an actor in white chalk as they lie on the black stage.
Created by the two performers Christine Devaney and Leandro Kees, this is a self-referential piece of theatre aimed at age 8-plus that looks at what it is to be alive.
It asks questions about life and who we are as well as what makes good children’s theatre and basic questions such as merits of pizza.
Part of the format is personal story telling from Devaney and Kees. In the latter’s case his story is told in Spanish while he shows the story with chalk and props.
The pair take part in random play and create an informal, non-threatening atmosphere that could please children not used to a theatrical experience.
However, the production feels more like a rehearsal than a finished piece of work. It is theatre stripped bare by these performers who play to gallery.
The choreography and actions have some hints at adult themes with occasional crotch grabbing. The pair manages to look post-coital at parts of the scene when they are acting as human erasers.
Children’s voices end the show talking about what makes them sad as the actors mop the stage before shrouding themselves in a sheet.
The white ballooned figures made of white wadding have some charm as some seem to take on a life of their own, but this loose structure of miscellany is a weak vehicle for Devaney’s evident elegant energy. Disappointing.
Remaining run Saturday 11 May 15.00; Monday 13 May 10.30 and 13.30