Green Eyes |
| Theatr Ffynnon , Borough Theatre, Abergavenny , February 8, 2010 |
As we are told at the opening of the show, Green Eyes is a film, a documentary, an animation and a theatre performance. The first half of the show is a film interspersed with live action scenes onstage. The film is a brilliantly constructed and superbly edited piece of work by film maker/animator Tom Stubbs. We are shown the process undertaken by director Chris Durnall, the workshop leaders and the members of Theatr Ffynnon, as they explore their views on the environment.The message of Green Eyes is simple: the world belongs to each and every one of us and we need to look after its welfare and future. The film allows us a glimpse of the workshops run in rehearsal, showing how the seed of an idea grows into a multi-faceted piece of art. Through exercises and interviews, the cast express their opinions on nature and the world we inhabit. These opinions, both poignant and humorous, are then channelled into a series of animations and an abstract narrative, all undertaken by members of the company. Seeds are planted, trees grow and are cut down. A young girl follows her ball as it rolls into the forest, treading on rubbish as she forces her way through the undergrowth. Edited down from 22 hours of footage, the film’s excellence speaks for itself and must surely have a good chance of prizes at film festivals this year. However, the performance which fills the second half of the evening, is just as strong and develops elements already touched on in the film. The ball the young girl follows, is an inflatable map of our world. One by one, the cast enter and throw litter around the stage, but this is not a play about picking up litter. The theme is far darker, as is the forest which the girl enters, in danger of being consumed by its branches as she searches for the lost ball. She meets ‘the old man of the forest’. The trees whither and fall and in a humorous interlude, a policeman questions the audience about who the litter onstage belongs to! Though a forbidding atmosphere shrouds the stage, the lasting image is of the young girl offering us the inflatable globe, as it belongs to us all. Film and performance compliment each other perfectly, supplemented by drumming, music and sounds provided by the Ffynnon tutors. But there are no ‘star turns’ here. This is very much and essentially an ensemble piece of work, more so than previous productions, I feel. The piece very definitely demonstrates a collective responsibility for the creation and presentation of Green Eyes, reflecting the question of collective responsibility it leaves hanging in the air, over the future of our planet. The only regret of the evening is that this was the only scheduled performance of Green Eyes. Of course I understand the problems of touring such a piece and the funding required to make this possible, but work of this standard must be seen by a wider audience. Not only in Wales, but across the border, where it would stand up against any other company undertaking similar work. Hopefully this is something that will be achieved by further screenings of the film, but for a performance about keeping our planet alive, it is a shame the theatre experience should live for only one brief evening. So, Theatr Ffynnon, what’s next? |
Reviewed by: Philip Michell |
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