Review: Soho (Peacock Theatre)
You could say that the notoriously bohemian Soho is a little microcosm of the full London experience. Whether it's the club scene, the theatres, the fashion, the drunks or the luvvies, it epitomises everything the capital has to offer, good and bad. This new show from company Stufish by director Abigail Yeates packs the stories the district has to tell into a two-hour dance piece.
The first half takes you through daytime Soho: commuters on the tube, guys working on their bodies in the gym, the workers having their lunch in the Square. As you're whizzed around the streets, you follow one man (Alessio Motta) as he goes from being an out-of-sorts newbie to the area, to a fully-fledged Londoner. His initial bewilderment will be recognisable to anyone new to Soho's streets.
Some of the acrobatics – the sheer strength and flexibility on display – are bewildering. In a trio between two bartenders and a customer, two of them slow dance while standing on the third's shoulders. A couple intertwine on a trapeze before one is left hanging eight foot in the air. It's impressive, performed with the ease you can expect from the top circus stars. Solid routines, making the most of trapezes, poles and hoops, which is enjoyable to watch, but nothing feels out of the ordinary. It isn't pushing the envelope.
Stufish have famously made sets which experiment with lighting, such as in a number of Olympic ceremonies and arena tours, to spectacular effect. Here, they rely on simpler techniques such as timelapses, photos and illustrations, which allows the performers to shine. And the acrobats perform on varying levels, so that while you're transfixed on an aerial hoop routine, there might be a scuffle also happening down below.
The piece is set to music by legends with ties to the area. David Bowie recorded Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust at a studio in St Anne’s Court, the Sex Pistols lived on Denmark Street (famed for its guitar and music shops), even Wolfgang Mozart lived on Frith Street as a child. Coupled with the sights of Soho, it's a reminder of the reputation the area is known for.
In the second half, the piece loses its uniqueness somewhat. Act one is full of nuances and touches that are unmistakably Soho, it's about Soho. After the interval, the theme shifts to the night scene, from Madame Jojo's to The Colony Rooms. Yes, Soho is renowned for its clubs and parties, but there's nothing about these parties to place it in Soho. It could be any red-light district in the world. That said, the second scene sees the characters getting ready for a night out and involves a stunning handstand routine in a bathtub by Camille Tremblay.
The tricks will get the 'oohs' and 'aahs', but Soho needs a bit more focus to make it a well-rounded show.
Soho runs at the Peacock Theatre until 20 May.
