Belt Up’s Metamorphosis

C soco
5-30 August, 17.00

The tale of Gregor Samsa, the travelling salesman
transformed into a hideous insect, will be familiar to many, but
Metamorphosis is no less enthralling for this fact. James Wilkes’s (who is also
credited with the adaptation) highly physical portrayal of the insect Gregor is
remarkable to watch, as he clambers around the brilliantly conceived
scaffolding set at The House Above, Belt Up Theatre’s “custom-built
environment” at C Soco.

The chorus,
a gang of badly behaved child clowns, push the show along, narrating Gregor’s strange and
poignant story, filling in as additional characters and performing scenes in
flashback. While their interaction with the audience is charming, it doesn’t
always feel strictly necessary, and the same goes for some of the extended choreographed
routines. The script is also flawed, with repetition of Gregor and his family’s
frustration at his predicament too often standing in for proper character development.

That said,
the good far outweighs the bad in this dark, funny and inventive piece.