Theatre Review - Aven
Prepare to get wet – Fuerza Bruta: Aven [Johan Persson]
IT’S 10 years since Argentinian troupe Fuerza Bruta was last seen at the Roundhouse. Their new show has a distinct club theatre vibe with DJ sets before each performance.
Fuerza Bruta was founded in 2003 by the team behind De La Guarda, who I remember seeing in the same venue in the 1990s.
Created by Diqui James, with music score by Gaby Kerpel, Aven blends spectacle, percussive rhythms, circus skills and physical performance to terrific effect.
The exuberant drummers who open the show set the overall tone, as does the inflatable globe that travels above our heads with several human bodies resembling giant grasshoppers clinging to the side. Later they start running around it, bringing a whole new meaning to globe-trotting.
Expect to be showered with confetti and water. One of the most exciting pieces, visually, involves a small transparent swimming pool suspended overhead – a woman thrashes about in the water while a man on the underside tries to connect with her.
Throughout, Aven feels like a series of performance acts in a nightclub. Some are more successful (and visible) than others. The energy of the ensemble never lets up.
It ends with a stunt akin to a fairground attraction – a giant inflatable blue whale floating above us, operated by two performers inside – which the audience joyously try to touch.
I went to the 5.30pm performance, good for kids, but the show’s euphoria seems better suited to the later times of 7.30pm and 9pm.
I had presumed Aven would have a cohesive theme running through, perhaps related to climate change, but there is no real narrative. Instead, prepare for a thrilling spectacle, pounding beats and an opportunity to dance while you watch. You won’t be disappointed.
Originally published by Camden New Journal
Until September 1