The Mill (Carriageworks )

Imagine a totalitarian world, akin to George Orwell’s 1984, where a troupe of Cirque du Soleil style performers have been enslaved on a soul-destroying production line, and you are some way to picturing The Mill by Ockham’s Razor.

On an intricate set of giant suspended hamster-wheels, ropes and pulleys, and under Big Brother style instruction from a droning tannoy, the five workers must literally pull together to make the seemingly pointless system work.

Man and machine work in harmony until the individuality of the workers begins to surface, challenging the system.

The essence of this show is balance; literally in the case of the performers whose acrobatic use of the set is mesmerising. As they swing and flip from wheel to cog, their command of the space is obvious, yet a genuine sense of danger always pervades. There is also an impressive balance between the physical strength needed just to operate the contraption and the balletic finesse displayed by each of them as they spin and tumble around the set. Ultimately, this captivating show examines the balance between the individual and our part in society as a whole.