#32 Toujours et Près de Moi

Physical Theatre ( Music, Puppetry ) Upstairs, Assembly Roxy

A modern take on the Pepper's Ghost stage device. Two live actors and three magical ones.

The story is all mystery. The live older couple has some relation to the three virtual actors, who live in a set of boxes, arranged and rearranged on a table. The ghost device projects on the boxes.

There's a wailing chroal score that overpowers. A rare choice, and the concept works, but it's a little too much.

Toujours is an adult story, with blood and naked frames. Lost love perhaps, jealousy, or children, miscarriage? As with other special effects, Pepper's Ghosts are no substitute for a story. The expression is more poetic. As a dance performance, there isn't that much intrigue. As a story, there's not much to grab a hold of. It is virtual, after all.

See it for the stage trickery, or perhaps see if you can catch a glimpse of something else from the team behind the tech. Where the effect is just used for effect. This show is little more than a tech demo.