Curve Theatre Leicester – until 27th May 2023
Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh
5****
As I sit in the café, I listen with interest at the thrum of excited theatre goers awaiting the show they are about to watch, unaware that this absolute gem is being performed at the same time. Saving Face is the future of theatre, a Kakilang production, co-produced by Curve and co-commissioned by The Place. It mixes comedy, hip-hop and contemporary dance with physical theatre to tell the tale of four office workers, chained to the daily grind, struggling to find the balance between showing up for work and showing up in their lives. What happens when the two things collide? What happens when you are no longer able to hide, in plain sight?
Each person is so different, yet connected by invisible illness, private struggles, invisible threads, treading water to get the job done. Lesley the office manager, attempts to maintain the demands of her position, her family and the omnipresent boss David, but what of her happiness. Drew, with his phone always on the go, but it’s not quite what it seems. Jackie, meticulous, diligent, ever reliable but at what cost. Sam, laidback, laissez faire, lollygagger, but is this by choice or is there something else afoot.
Saving Face deals with some pretty emotive subject matter, but in an extremely humorous way. Using an office setting works perfectly, especially in the light of all the connotation with covid, hot desking, office politics and conformity. The juxtaposition between dance and office is stark, yet performer, director and writer Si Rawlinson brings dance into the office seamlessly, with pieces performed on office chairs, desks and even an office fridge. I’m not sure I can go back into my office and look at the photocopier in the same way.
The attention to detail in this piece was a gift, little moments that added and amplified the story, the characters, the humour and the overall message. Lookout for the octopus amongst other small touches. There were some incredible moments of artistic humor. Jackie box filing to ‘Zorba the Greek’ was committed and enthralling. The soundtrack was on point and lent so much to the performance.
All four performers, Si Rawlinson (Sam), Yukiko Masui (Lesley), Jamaal O’Driscoll (Drew), Lisa Chearles (Jackie), were mesmerising to witness. They built the stage, then built the tension, then built the office world we were drawn into. There were moments when communication moved into movement, when words were simply not enough, and these were the most powerful points. A standout for me was Lesley’s solo piece. I have no words to describe it, it needs to be seen and felt.
A fifth performer is the set itself, personified as an oppressor, walls and desks, contracting and expanding, drawing the characters back in and not allowing them to leave the office behind. Designed by Christine Ting – Huan 挺歡 Urquhart, its wonderfully constructed, simple and mobile, deceptively, effortlessly moved into place by each character, a dance in itself, it gave a true sense of claustrophobia.
The beauty of Saving Face is that we can all see ourselves in these characters. Whether in an office or any workplace, we have all, at some point felt the shift in equilibrium and the need to wear a mask, pretending everything is ok and we are able to deal with things on our own. We fear reaching out or exposing who we really are and talking about our struggles. Humanity is demonised, vulnerability is weaponised. The importance of this piece is that it is a conversation starter, one that starts with ourselves.
Saving Face is fresh theatre. It is pushing the boundaries of storytelling. The combination of theatre, dance and comedy is captivating. It’s themes are relevant and profoundly thought provoking but it’s also really funny and was an absolute joy to watch. I urge you to experience this show, it will stay with you long after you leave the theatre.