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.