REVIEW: Rhiannon Faith Company's "internal virus" in DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN

With dance-theatre maker Rhiannon Faith’s new show DROWNTOWN unable to tour in summer 2020, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Faith created DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN, a digital prologue film to bridge the gap. In this digital introduction we meet the cast of DROWNTOWN in their own homes before they set off for the beach, the setting for the upcoming production. Directed by Adam Sheldon (Big Egg Films) and filmed by the dancers in their own homes during the lockdown, the film interrogates themes of loneliness and isolation.

Donald Hutera in DROWNTOWN (PC: Foteini Christofilopoulo)

The reocurring image and sound of water threads through DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN from the moment the film opens until it ends. Presented as crashing waves, dripping taps, kitchen sinks and overflowing buckets, the sound and image of water reminds us of the notions of suffocation and drowning - literally and figuratively. 

The autobiographical nature of the stories told by the dancers is clear, each performer presents a different form of suffering that seems to come from a deeply personal place. Dancer Cherie Coleman frantically researches government advice before turning to face a wall littered with post-it notes and newspaper clippings. Dressed in an orange hi-vis vest and trousers, Thomas Heyes slumps over a table, dragging his head lethargically into his hands. Elsewhere, Donald Hutera calls out through his letter box, "is anyone there? Can you hold me?". While the stories share the common threads of loneliness and isolation, each is peppered with something personal: panic, lethargy and heartache. The "internal virus" feels more threatening than the one outdoors.

Thomas Heyes in DROWNTOWN (PC: Foteini Christofilopoulo)

Time lapses, birds-eye-views, close shots and the recurrent sound and image of water gives DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN an ever-present, low level anxiety. Shelly Eva Haden, dressed in her coat and shoes, writhes in a narrow hallway, her legs won't let her walk steady. The cast are moving fast now, hurling arms over their heads and diving skulls towards the floor, it's not far off the thrashing of someone panicking in deep water. The dancers move closer to their front doors and the anxiety continues to build as hands reach towards door handles and latches release. The doors open and the cast step out into daylight and suddenly the tension drops. But what will happen next for these men and women?

Choreographer Rhiannon Faith (PC: Christa Holka)

Faith successfully lays bare the same truths that the coronavirus pandemic has revealed in Britain. With incredibly great care (check out the post-show Q&A for a real insight into the care taken), DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN points at the growing social isolation faced by groups in the UK, highlights the importance of supporting the mental health of individuals and communities, and acknowledges the shameful social and economic disparity faced by marginalised groups. Mixed in with the chaos and heaviness presented in DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN, there is an essence of vulnerability that many will recognise within the reconstruction of daily lives and personal journeys during the pandemic. In sum, if you haven't seen it already, DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN is an essential work of dance art for those living in the era of the coronavirus in the UK.

DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN is available to watch online at: www.rhiannonfaith.com/drowntown-lockdown

Maya Pindar

INTERVIEW: Rhiannon Faith on the creation of DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN, the digital prologue of the hotly anticipated DROWNTOWN.

Radical dance-theatre maker Rhiannon Faith’s new show DROWNTOWN was set to embark on an extensive UK tour, finishing with a run at The Barbican in July 2020. With theatres closed around the UK, Faith created DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN, a digital prologue film that will launch on Thur 09 July, 8pm on Facebook, to bridge the gap. In this digital introduction we meet the cast of DROWNTOWN in their own homes before they set off for the beach, the setting for DROWNTOWN. 

In this interview I chat to Faith about the creation of DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN, how Covid-19 has exacerbated issues of social exclusion, and about Faith's own background as a socially conscious artist.

Rhiannon Faith (PC: Christa Holka)

Maya Pindar: Can you tell us about yourself and how you became the socially conscious choreographer you are now?

Rhiannon Faith: I am a dance theatre maker and I am interested in work that tackles social injustice, opens up conversations and contributes to supporting a fairer society.  I come from a family that have always fought for and cared for people. My great granddad fought for widowers to receive pensions after the war, my mum has fought all her life for children with intellectual and physical disabilities to have fair access to education. I have nurses, social workers, human rights lawyers, union leaders and teachers in my family as role models. I think this has had a massive influence on who I am as a consequence the art that I make.

MP: Can you describe the nature of DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN and what we can expect from the digital prologue?

RF: DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN is a digital prologue of the stage show. The show DROWNTOWN is about brokenness. Set on a beach six strangers explore a societal sickness where some of the symptoms are loneliness, isolation and shame. 

In this digital introduction we see the six strangers in their own homes, we visit their private spaces and see each of them before they make the decision to leave and go to the beach, where DROWNTOWN the stage show begins.  The film reveals the performers personal circumstances, in isolation and introduces their weaknesses and shadows. All the performers stories in DROWNTOWN are autobiographical and come from their honest lived experiences, so it was a very personal and sincere experience going into their environments and interrogating their worlds.

Rhiannon Faith Company in DROWNTOWN (PC: Foteini Christofilopoulou)

MP: Can you tell us what originally provoked you to explore themes of loneliness and social exclusion for DROWNTOWN?

RF: There are marginalised vulnerable groups in our towns that are treated like they have no value, and we need to change that. This often manifests as loneliness as there is a feeling that they do not belong. To belong to a community gives a person meaning and makes them feel loved, which at the end of the day is essential to the human spirit, to feel valued and loved and to offer love. DROWNTOWN looks at what happens when there is a sickness in communities, when people feel broken and let down. DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN profoundly mirrors our current crisis, our experiences of isolation and loneliness and our future of uncertainty. 

MP: How did the physical separation between your cast and yourself during the lockdown affect the way you worked together to create DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN?

RF: It was strange and very exciting. We took the opportunity to place specific boundaries on our practice, which forced us to be creative in new ways and to delve into unexpected territory. The main purpose was to keep the team connected, to be creative and to be able to financially support the artists that were expecting to be part of a tour. With the help of film director Adam Sheldon and Big Egg films we visited the performers digitally in their own homes. Filmed by the performers and under remote supervision by myself and Adam via Zoom we made a prologue of the show as a film. We had six days to shoot it, so it was pretty intense but the process was pretty special as it allowed the team to be together.

Rhiannon Faith Company in DROWNTOWN (PC: Foteini Christofilopoulou)

MP: Can you tell us a bit about the research you conducted in coastal towns for DROWNTOWN, and how this helped inform your own understanding of the lockdown? 

RF: We visited Jaywick, Great Yarmouth, Clacton-On Sea and Brighton during the winter months, some of which have high economic and social deprivation or high numbers of homelessness and addiction. There were betting shops on most streets and the arcades were open out of season. I interviewed lots of members of coastal communities who were in recovery, tied up in an unjust system with no support and those that would gamble each day because they were so lonely and it was the only way of having human connection. It’s a vicious and merciless reality and stark contrast to a happy holiday destination for so many. I want to make those people more visible, I want our communities to reach out and connect with them, to really see them. That is the purpose of DROWNTOWN.

MP: Covid-19 has revealed vast inequalities within the fabric of British society, how does DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN interrogate these truths?

RF: DROWNTOWN demonstrates what happens to the people when the lifeguard who sits on a seat of power is absent. I think the metaphor couldn’t be more pertinent during this pandemic. DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN opens the door to find those that have been left behind, unvalued and disregarded in society. It aims to position the experiences and feelings of those with mental health issues or those that have been let down by the inequalities of society in clear view.

Rhiannon Faith Company in DROWNTOWN (PC: Foteini Christofilopoulou)

MP: Rhiannon Faith Company creates socially conscious art, in what ways do you hope that DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN will affect change?

RF: I hope it will contribute to the excellent work that many charities do to support the most vulnerable in our society. It will signpost audiences to places where they can receive help and it will point the audiences focus in a place that needs attention.  We are also running a community project called #Virusvulnerabilites that support vulnerable groups and charities to take part in an artistic project and become Superstar Lifeguards. You can find more information about that on my website.

MP: Finally - the million dollar question - what do you think is next for you and Rhiannon Faith Company in our new reality and the "new normal"?

RF: Well I’ve just had a baby in lockdown, so my reality is all upside down at the moment anyway! 

But I am looking at alternative ways to continue reaching our audiences and research for a new show will begin, and when it is safe to do so, DROWNTOWN will be back in theatres and will be unnervingly relevant. 

DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN airs on Facebook on Thur 09 July 2020 at 8pm. The film (15 mins) will be screened followed by the trailer for the stage show (1 min) and a Q&A discussion with Rhiannon, DROWNTOWN LOCKDOWN Director Adam Sheldon and selected cast members. Following this, the film will be available to watch online.

INTERVIEW: Urja Desai Thakore on Pagrav Dance's new work Kattam Katti

I met with Urja Desai Thakore of UK-based Asian dance company, Pagrav Dance, to talk about their new work Kattam Katti. 

Kattam Katti is inspired by the chaos, colour and competition of India's world famous Uttarayan kite festival. The work is performed by four UK-based dancers of Asian heritage who interact with four live musicians playing a specially written score. Together they bring the fun, creativity and colour of the event to life with drama, enchanting lyricism and exquisite technique. In our interview, Urja talks about the inspiration behind Kattam Kati, the creative process and how the work intersects politically with current society.

Photo Credit: Chris Nash

Maya Pindar: Kattam Katti explores the Uttarayan kite festival in Gujarat, India. Can you tell us a bit about Uttarayan?

Urja Desai Thakore: Uttarayan (the Gujarati name for the Hindu Sun Festival) is a major festival that takes place every January in the west Indian state of Gujarat to mark the transition from winter into spring. The Festival lasts for two days, but people prepare for and celebrate it from December onwards. 

Millions of people from different cities, religions and social classes come together to fly kites, and the aim is to fly your kite higher than anybody else’s. Gujarati people keenly await the festival to fly their kites, called patang. These are made of special light-weight paper and bamboo and are mostly rhombus shaped with a central spine and a single bow. 

In major Gujurati cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Jamnagar the skies are filled with literally thousands upon thousands of colourful kites. It is a wonderfully joyous event; but it’s also ruthlessly competitive and competitors often coat their kite strings with abrasive glass pigment that while beautiful on the surface, will cut the strings of other kites. When people cut any kites they yell Gujurati exclamations like kaypo chhe, e lapet, jaay jaay, phirki vet phirki and lapet lapet. 

There are also special festival dishes including Undhyun (spicy, baked mix of winter vegetables) and chikkis, made from sesame seeds, peanuts and jaggery. 

Photo Credit: Chris Nash

MP: What can we expect from Kattam Katti?

UDT: Kattam Katti is an exquisite piece of modern dance theatre, rooted in the Indian Kathak dance tradition, that tells the story of a family celebrating the kite festival. The variations in the types of kite are paralleled with different characters in the family and tales of competition, danger, excitement and unity are vividly brought to life. Whilst transporting the audience to the chaos, creativity and colour of Uttarayan it also explores and highlights the socio-economical hierarchy and inequalities present in society.

I created it as a neo-classical work with a distinctly contemporary feel developed out of the Kathak dance-classical Indian tradition. It is performed by eight performers - four dancers and four musicians. The musicians play their specially composed music live and are integral to the show as they move around the dancers and interact with them.

MP: Can you tell us about the creative process in the development of Kattam Katti?

UDT: In traditional Kathak dance, Nritta (the technical part) and Nritya (the expressional part) are very separate, whereas in the work I am creating this intertwines and becomes one. When I was learning, my Guru (teacher), Kumudini Lakhia, always taught me to think outside the box and to ask questions. This has been at the heart of the creative process for Kattam Katti. I believe it’s easier to break the boundaries once one has learned them. Every time my boundaries are pushed I try to extend that borderline and challenge the art form. As well as being an important part of my creative processes I believe we should be constantly evolving in order for the art form to thrive. 

Kattam Katti has gone through two R&D phases and after 3 years we have reached this creative phase. The idea was first discussed and explored with the dancers and musicians, and once we finalised the ‘dance language’ I introduced dramaturgy, lights and sets. I have been extremely fortunate to have a great team of creative and innovative collaborators and artists around me. We set ourselves challenges and are always keen to think differently and try new ideas and approaches. 

Photo Credit: Chris Nash

MP: How does the music help shape the storytelling in the work?

UDT: Kattam Katti doesn’t’t use the traditional way of formal composed music. The musicians were in the space with the dancers and are part of the story rather than separate artists creating a sound score. They played along with movement and developed the music that way. This sort of interaction with the dancers has been a tradition of South Asian dance for many years and I have sought to involve them in the space so that their music is responsive to the movement and story. We are also restricting ourselves from using the traditional instruments used in the Kathak form. 

MP: Uttarayan reveals some of the inequalities and division in modern society. How important do you think is it that that we talk about these issues through dance?

UDT: Through my observation of societies around the world I found a lot of similarity in the way Uttarayan is celebrated and day to day life. How the privileged have an easy road to success (with their high terraces, those with large houses or exclusive penthouse flats have a head start in the battle to fly their kites the highest) compared to someone struggling to reach to the basic level by flying their kites from ground level.

By using dance to show how these inequalities exist we can help to put our point over in a colourful and entertaining way and illustrate that such inequalities exist, but when it comes to time of celebration or tragedy we can unite. Other choreographers such as Rhiannon Faith are also using dance to highlight inequalities in society, demonstrating the continuing relevance of dance from around the world as a dynamic art form.

Photo Credit: Chris Nash

MP: Kattam Katti is for everyone - can you tell us a bit about its relevancy to audiences?

UDT: I believe the show will appeal to people of all ages and from different backgrounds. On one level it is funny, colourful and interactive alongside the stories and social comment. The original music and virtuoso playing will appeal to those interested in World Music and I truly believe that there is something for anyone interested in dance and theatre. I’m creating Kattam Katti to be visually stunning and uplifting from a dance point of view with a story that is easy to follow and connect to, but also has a deeper relevance for those who wish to find it. 

MP: Pagrav Dance Company provides a platform for the next generation of dancers. How do works like Kattam Katti feed into Pagrav's commitment to nurturing young dancers?

UDT: I have always been a strong advocate of supporting young dancers, often local to my base in Milton Keynes. I have given platforms to emerging dancers, from Aakash Odedra in the 2008 show Baharan (now a renowned and award-winning artist who runs his own company) to the current cast of Kattam Katti - Saloni Saraf, Meera Patel, Parbati Chaudhury and Subhash Viman Gorania.

I strongly believe that in the UK there are many talented up and coming dancers, but what is lacking is the infrastructure for them to further their careers and pursue their dreams. There is a lack of professional development for dancers in a company setting. Thus for the first time we are including a development plan in this project. Each of the dancers will complete an appraisal at the end of the project and Pagrav Dance Company will provide a bespoke plan for each of them to develop their practice, both inside and outside of the company environment. The musicians are also British-born and Pagrav Dance Company are planning to offer ongoing career support to them too. 

MP: Finally, what one piece of advice would you offer young, aspiring Asian dancers?

UDT: There is no alternative to hard work, just keep believing in yourselves, work hard and be ready to take any opportunities that arrive, but don’t just wait for opportunities, create them for yourself.

Kattam Kati was scheduled to be premier at Sadler's Wells in May 2020, however due to Covid-19 the work will now go on stage at a later point, find out more here.