[Review] Mark Bruce Company in Frankenstein and Liberation Day
Matthew Paluch sees the Mark Bruce Company’s double bill in London – Frankenstein and Liberation Day
| Title | Frankenstein – Liberation Day |
| Company | Mark Bruce Company |
| Venue | The Place, London |
| Date | 26 March 2024 |
| Reviewer | Matthew Paluch |
When it comes to horror, Netflix has Ryan Murphy and Sarah Paulson, and the UK dance scene has choreographer Mark Bruce and dancer Jonathan Goddard.
Bruce and Goddard collaborated on an award-winning production of Dracula in 2013, and 2024 sees them take on Mary Shelley‘s gothic masterpiece, Frankenstein.
The evening starts however with another, new Bruce work, Liberation Day, which looks at “life, love, and the passing of time” to a score composed by Bruce himself. He is clearly going through an Americana period, as the vibe is Western in both the music and costuming. It also crosses over into the movement language with finger guns and possible buffalo horn arm images.
There are numerous atmospheric interludes with duos focused on ballroom style partnering – couples woven tight, twining and unfurling, folksy gallops, and the odd Latin flurry. And authoritative solos that allow the movement to speak most clearly, full of lilt and José Limón-esque arcs and curves. Bruce also manages to infuse a subtle, yet distinct inner struggle between strength and submission throughout proceedings which continuously feeds the environment.
Towards the end though, I did ponder over Christopher Bruce’s Rooster and its possible legacy. Who knows…
In the early part of Frankenstein, I’d decided that this was possibly the most high-end production value I’d seen at The Place… and then the show was halted due to a technical fault. Did I speak too soon? Regardless of the technical issues, the light design by Guy Hoare is seriously good, and the whole work emphasizes what’s capable with little to no set and a minimal budget in the right hands.
Frankenstein is a play without words… that really needs some… or more dance. But then who wants empty dance for the sake of it? It’s a conundrum. As is the glaring ballet vocabulary featuring in a contemporary dance piece. Partnered fouetté turns and a fish dive feeling bizarrely out of place.
Goddard as the Monster does his best, and the scene where he finds his feet is promising movement-wise – all disjointed turmoil – but somehow nothing really develops from it. That said, it’s impressive to witness Goddard making almost imperceptible decisions that consequently have a huge impact on how he moves and communicates with his body.
The whole cast is evidently committed, and they bring genuine purpose and weight to their dancing, but I also wondered why some of the interpretations go down the overtly sexualised route for no apparent reason. Odd.
By the end, I was quite relieved it came to a close. The piece is on the long side and currently feels lacking in both pace and impact. It just needs some fine-tuning with storytelling, the related movement content, and the pace at which it unfolds. And I’d lose the snowy ending… far too obvious and La Bohème in style to be taken seriously.
Matthew Paluch was awarded a place at The Royal Ballet School in 1990 where he graduated in 1997. His first four years as a professional dancer were spent working with London City Ballet, Scottish Ballet, K-Ballet and English National Ballet, becoming a full-time member of ENB until leaving in 2006.
Matthew graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance, Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma in 2007, and was formerly on faculty at The Royal Ballet School. He completed his Masters in Ballet Studies at Roehampton University in 2011, has been a freelance writer since 2010 and currently works in the Law Sector.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
