York Theatre Royal – until 20 October 2018
Reviewed by Marcus Richardson
4****
The contemporary theatre company Gecko has come to York with their show Missing, an ensemble piece which explores memories and how childhood affects us as adults. Gecko takes three years, make a show, break it and remake it, with the end result being Missing in this case. We watch the main character Lily progress through life with her childhood lingering on her and her ability to form relationships. Twisting through time, everything seems broken and unnatural, however having an essence to real life with real experiences and relationships.
The cast made of five actors, creates a world trough working with various languages and through physical theatre. Katie Lusby plays Lily, this character for me, was the most emotionally demanding with having the burden of the past and the strain of the present. What sticks with me is her face, the ability to both convey love and shock at the same time. Lucia Chocarro is the other female in the cast taking on the role of Lily’s mother a dancer, the dancing in this show goes so well with the physical theatre, working in unison to create a story without the need of words. The other members of the cast being all male are Amit Lahav, John Ross and Arten Perkins-Gangnes; these three did an amazing job of working with their bodies to bring a demanding energy to the stage, from powerful and fast movements to their characterisation. You can tell that the cast is comfortable with each other and with being such a small cast there is this harmonious relationship between each of them on stage.
Amit Lahav is the artistic director of Gecko and the play is based off his experience of delving into the past and how that has made him what he is today. The set is incredibly imaginative and cleaver using a long treadmill as a main tool in the show this innovative aspect really show what theatre has the possibility to be, the stage was just as impressive as the cast.
This show is right up my alley, however I know it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, contemporary theatre is an acquired taste after all. If you want to see new theatre, I would suggest seeing this, both thought provoking and entertaining.