Birds of Paradise Theatre Company present Orbits at Fruitmarket
The film being shown at Fruitmarket until Friday will linger in your mind long after you have seen it – particularly the meringues and their fate.
It is a very beautiful work featuring Portuguese dancer Diana Niepce and was made during the latter stages of the pandemic. Niepce is alone on screen throughout, and filmmaker Hugo Glendinning filmed the work in Lisbon last December under the direction of Rachel Drazek.
The film explores who and what we are in a relationship with, or are in orbit with, and what happens when we fall out of that orbit. How far will we go to get back into an orbit of our own, and what fragmentation happens before that? The film asks is this loneliness? The orbits and relationships mean that we inevitably meet ourselves head on and that there are more layers of self to discover as time passes.
Some of the questions arose from lockdown experiences, but others simply from living and ageing.
Diana Niepce is a disabled dance artist. She is the only one on screen, and she moves beautifully and uncovers many of her own layers during the work. It is difficult to explain how she does this without spoiling the experience for you, but I recommend that you do immerse yourself in the work for a while, and you will find your self admiring her strength and fortitude.
This is not presented as a meditation on life and loss, but it is definitely a meditative work, and will affect anyone who sees it and hears the beautiful music composed by Scott Twnholm. The film is dedicated to the late dancer, Pete Edwards, who died last year.
The work is playing on a 40 minute long loop at Fruitmarket until 5 May, and you are welcome to come and go as you please. 11am to 6pm daily.
There will be a Creative Movement Workshop with the Director, Rachel Drazek, on 30 May 2-4pm. Entry is free or by donation. Booking is essential – on the Fruitmarket website.
