Century Song

This piece from Canadian company, Volcano Theatre is hard to categorise. The theatrical elements take second or third place behind the beautiful singing voice of Neema Bickersteth and her energetic dance routines choreographed by Kate Alton.

These are supported by music composed by Reza Jacobs, some of which borrows from other sources, primarily minimalist, and played by pianist Gregory Oh and percussionist / computer musician Benjamin Grossman.

In addition, the performance is supported by projections, some of which are eye-catching and enhance the experience.

According to the programme notes, the intention is to bring to the stage two source texts, In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens by Alice Walker and Orlando by Virginia Woolf. That will probably be less than clear to the average viewer, especially as none of the songs have any words.