Crusoe: No Man is an Island, is a charming and interesting meld of mime and monologue, telling the stories of a series of males, each battling with the thing that distances them from the rest of the world. A mysterious man stands in a doorway, watching as others run from the rain. An elderly gent visits the grave of someone beloved. One middle-aged guy sits, somewhat befuddled, in a corner while another makes awkward moves on the dance floor. Each is alone and yet somehow connected and searching for something.
Gavin Robertson gives another magnificent performance in this one-man show. The sections of pure movement, all performed to an enveloping soundscape and some well-chosen popular songs, blur the line between mime and dance. These segments link the characters and the action together, foreshadow the storyline to come, and throw Robinson Crusoe, trapped on his famous island, into the mix as well.
As he moves around the stage we witness Robertson don the personality of the characters; each distinct and interesting. He is flamboyant yet touching as John, who has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and must live on, as his memories and words leave him. Humour is plentiful in his presentation of Phil, who has been dumped by the girlfriend he met online and finds himself entering the foreign world of nightclubs and face-to-face romantic hook-ups. His transition into the old man is most physically impressive, as he moves about the stage with seeming difficulty and spouts life-lessons, the legacy of his experiences, while delivering flowers to his deceased love.
This is a moving and interesting production; much beauty can be found in the exquisite movement sequences, while the dialogue based portions are intelligent and thought provoking.
Kryztoff Rating: 4.5K
Recent Comments