The company arrived to the London stage last weekend to present their new show, featuring acrobatic performances using apples as their lead element. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the piece, to let us know if this pome-pous performance actually went bananas.
When I was a little boy, Mother taught me not to play with food. Not that her cooking could be considered anything else but that, but we all need to believe our own lies once in a while, don’t we? Kidding! (My, I mean, her cooking was gr—…, alright…). Moving on. If that was a lesson to be learned, some parents didn’t put too much effort in giving their children the chance to assimilate it. If you want an example, you don’t need to look anywhere further but onto the stage of London’s Peacock Theatre.
Last weekend, the West End rep venue attempted to bear fruit, literally, with Gadini Juggling’s apple-based montage ‘Smash’. Featuring a troupe of 9 performers and over 100 pieces of the Snow White McGuffin (it’s hard finding synonyms for that word, so give me a break), the show takes us into a 60-minute display of pome-themed prestidigitation – consisting of different sets of numbers mixing up dance and comedy with every possible way of shuffling.
An appealing yet challenging premise which, nonetheless, could harvest a successful result if approached in the right manner, the montage excels in its technical delivery – regaling us with mostly impeccable renditions flaunting some bits of genuine awe. However, such flawlessness can’t either erase or disguise the fact that the piece, as a whole, does feel slightly blemished and, all in all, rather bumpy.
Even though the show does make an effort to bring out some versatility throughout the performance, none of those tries manage to fully thrive. The problem may not stem from a lack of repertoire, but instead the execution of the numbers per se – wistfully, they all feel excessively repetitive and, just a few minutes after they started, all the interest is almost gone. They do include some extra difficulties to make their renditions more complex, but unfortunately none of them are either strong or impressive enough to keep our attention focused – let alone, our emotions gripped.
On the other hand, the absolute absence of a narrative compromises the general flow of the production. Of course, there’s no need for intricate storytelling when it comes to an acrobatics-style spectacle, but the fact that it always helps bring both cohesiveness and enticement should neither be ignored. Though teasing us with a few specks of disconnected plot lines (some of them, rather confusing or unjustified), the level of underdevelopment regarding this aspect is highly noticeable – many times, looking as more of an excuse than a functional component within the piece.
A charming demonstration of astonishing talent and subtle originality, Gandini Juggling accomplishes a laudable act boasting exceptional competence when it comes to its craftsmanship, but struggles to bring such achievements onto any other elements when moving outside of its comfort zone. It’s a concept with enough potential to stand out as a reference – but it’s still on a state not too far from the idea just falling down from the tree. There’s progress to be made and angles to be polished before it’s really ready for a full-length performance. They may have crushed apples onto the stage during the finale, but in spite of its title, that doesn’t guarantee a smash.
Gandini Juggling’s upcoming shows and performances are available on the following link.