“In Your Gaze”
At Belvedere College’s O’Reilly Theatre
★★★★☆
This intriguing, unconventional artistic piece performed by Manchester native Benji Reid, a theatremaker and photographer, brings to light a thought-provoking statement by renowned fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, “I believe that perfection is unattractive. I want to see the marks, flaws, chaos, and deformity in the creations of humanity.”
Whether agreed with or not, the audience witnesses a type of immaculate transformation taking place. The main focus of the performance is Reid crafting captivating still images from the dynamic poses of his three skilled accomplices. All visuals created are indeed stunning. Our performers are physically sculpted and facially symmetrical. The concluding collection, set to the strains of Icelandic Singer Björk, could ideally feature in a glossy-covered coffee-table book.
Yet the elements of “flaws, chaos, and deformity” subtly permeate the background. We come to the final understanding that distress is indeed the driving force.
This avant-garde presentation initially provokes the edgy query, “Gosh, is the entire performance going to be like this?” The answer is, surprisingly, yes. To the left of the audience, a man with his laptop sets off a soundtrack that flows from soothing electronica, progressively to contemporary R&B and then edgy hip-hop. A technician on the right transfers the snaps from Reid’s camera onto screens positioned at both sides of Reid and his models. Performers twirl around each other, scale poles and even pay a unique homage to the deceased hip-hop musician MF Doom.
‘In Your Gaze’, makes us question at the beginning, “Gosh, will the entire spectacle be like this?” This challenging work rewards those who let go.
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The most captivating aspect comes from the revelation of the photographer’s abilities to radically transform. This mostly deals with slight deviations between the visual display on the stage versus what Reid showcases on the screen. Towards the end, Reid and his troupe have a moment of true magic as a performer, despite being clearly lifted onstage, eerily gives off the illusion of floating without support in the snapshot.
Reid’s work combines elements of theatre, choreography and photography, a fusion he describes as choreo-photolist. He’s devoted great efforts to mould this blend into a compelling, alluring aesthetic. However, the piece falls short in effectively communicating his argument, heavily reliant on profound allegory, which posits that his work serves as a form of battlefront photography. The societal issues he examines – racism, poverty, social exclusion, he likens to the role of a war correspondent. The approach fares better when it grapples with personal experiences. His depiction of his mother’s post-stroke journey resorts to an excessively lofty pursuit of transcendence, yet Reid successfully marries empathy with magical realism.
Reid’s own performance is so understated that it mostly goes unnoticed. As he moves around in the dark, Reid could easily blend in as a technician or a stagehand unexpectedly positioned in the spotlight. The audience is taken by surprise when Reid prompts them to cheer as another artist climbs the pole, transforming into a wind-swept kite. A poignant moment ensues when, following the conclusion of Björk’s melodic strains, Reid steps on stage to express his heartfelt gratitude in a remarkably modest manner. Despite its challenges, the piece proves rewarding.