Especially on Birthdays

Children are arguably a much tougher audience than adults, but the joy in The Space at The Festival Centre was palpable for every minute of the 45 minute performance of Especially on Birthdays.

As the story of twins approaching their life-changing 6^th birthday literally unfolds, it touches and provokes, entertains and creates wonder.

This is a new work that was written and refined as a collaboration between artistic communities across four countries. It is simple, yet visually compelling and uses little spoken word, allowing audience members to interact in their own way, and at their own pace.

Directed by Dave Brown and Roz Hervey it is described as a show about birthdays and friendship. It is in fact deeper and more complex. The story is predicated on the unique sharing between siblings, and particularly twins. They marvel, they fight, they celebrate, they sulk and wordlessly cajole each other back into togetherness.

Lighting by award-winning Geoff Cobham is one of the stars of the show. Using overhead and side lighting, as well as a brilliant shaft of laser light that is skilfully played like an instrument by the actors, it pairs perfectly with the evocative music that is composed, arranged and performed by Matthew Wilder.

The lighting allows us to see the wonderment in the expressions of the two actors, Katrina Lazaroff and Steven Noonan, both of whom are collaborators in devising this engaging piece.

Other than chortling and belly laughs from the multi-aged audience, you could hear a pin drop. No wriggling, no chattering, no interruptions. Only the sound of the excited intake of breath as the audience waited for the next piece of enchantment.

Jude Hines