Our first visit!

Urban Savages at Trinity High School, Leamington Spa.

The young reviewers before the show...

   ‘Urban Savages’ was a contemporary dance production combining elements of Brazilian martial arts and parkour, with young local males providing the majority of the action. With a plot based upon the famous novel ‘Lord of the Flies’, survivors of an apocalyptic virus found themselves in a harsh altered environment. A power struggle soon emerges as the tribes descend into savergy, and must fight to outlive each other until help arrives.

            ‘Being Frank’s production was held at Trinity High School with three performances over the weekend. An easy location to reach via most forms of transport, the school boasted excellent accessibility for all people to attend, and the dance company took full advantage of the venue’s impressive facilities. With tickets costing £6 and with the production taking place at a school some may be put off, but this would most definitely be a mistake.

            We heard about ‘Savages’ through a Youth Club member of staff, and unfortunately would not have discovered it otherwise: the advertising itself was professionally done and very engaging to the eyes, but distribution was certainly limited. Strangely, not any emphasis was put upon the exclusively male-cast, which could have been a major selling point: ‘Being Frank’ run a workshop training un-experienced 12-15 year olds in contemporary dance, introducing them to a world they would otherwise miss out on.

            The show itself was incredibly energetic, with young athletes wrapping & weaving themselves amongst a simple yet very well designed set. A fantastic selection of music provided the backbone for the dancers, ranging from classic hip-hop to more modern electronic beats. The ‘Lord of the Flies’ inspired plot was easy enough to follow, although occasional deviations could throw the audience off at points, due to weak use of video and unclear dialogue. Some of the dance sequences did become repetitive, but this can be expected due to the inclusion of local amateur dancers and their limited preparation time. This did lead to a long, well rounded duration.

            Overall, people should not be discouraged by the fact that this production is held at a school, as the performance delivered excellent quality in all aspects: a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Ratings (out of five):

Accessibility:……….4/5

Promotion:………..3.5/5

The ’show’/event:….4/5

Treatment:………….5/5

 

Overall rating:…….4/5

“I would definitely like to see Being Franks work again”

“An incredibly impressive production: must see them again.”

Want to get involved???

Live in Warwick district ?

Got an opinion about the arts?

Wanna make your point heard ?

We are currently recruiting a group of young people from the area to visit appropriate arts related venues and events and then write a review of their experiences; is it suitable for young people? Is it affordable? Are the staff helpful/friendly?

We will visit exhibitions, museums, theatre plays and more, as a group and then tell the world what you think….THERE IS NO COST INVOLVED FOR PARTICIPANTS!!

We are planning new visits before April 2009 - if you would like to get involved or want more information then please get in touch:

contact Lee Atkins lee.atkins@wayc.org.uk or call (01926) 450156

More to follow…