The Storeroom (Carriageworks Leeds)

The Storeroom is, visually and conceptually, an incredibly shrewd play which is brilliantly executed. The staging is an accomplished piece of well oiled artistic engineering and the inventive use of props and costumes is positively dazzling. The Storeroom is a one woman show, and Williams treats the audience with hypnotising dance sequences throughout; at one point using the ladders of the old storeroom to create a mesmerising acrobatic ballet performance, with dexterity and grace to make Cirque Du Soleil envious. Williams relies heavily on lighting, costumes and props to give the play depth and add distinct elements within the story (there is even ventriloquism!). Rather than leaning dependently on these to give her performance buoyancy; Williams is calculated and often incredibly witty in her choices and use of them is in itself what gives this play its character.

The play does lack narrative and the plot is thin. However, this is not a devastating criticism as the merits of the performance are not brought about through fantastic scripting, and are not indented to be. The Storeroom drives home the power of performance and theatre.

Alastair Gavin’s compositions are jazzy and sinister and Williams’ immaculate performance makes the Storeroom a dangerous and dazzling seventy minutes of artistic revelry.