French choreographer Clement Layes intrigued the sold-out venue with his personal but bizarre solo performance.
Throughout the 45-minute act Layes had a glass of water balanced on his head which, at times, he skilfully slid, hands-free, to the side of his face and back to his forehead.
The show mainly consisted of Layes, clad in dungarees, watering a small pot plant, with increasing difficulty, as he continued to balance the glass. He utilised a watering can, a steaming kettle, and a bucket, which he put over his head so he couldn't see, with the plant on top and then also drenched himself. In between tasks Layes chalked sketches on a blackboard and the words: "I work, I sleep, I dance, I'm dead".
The production, by French company Public In Private, was silent, apart from snippets of a song, until the last few minutes when Layes began to point at his props and announce what they symbolised which helped clarify their significance. The plant was life, the water - energy, the glass - the mechanic, the kettle - science, the bucket was limitation and the water sloshed on the floor was the ocean.
Exploring the absurdity of how people constantly make life difficult for themselves, the work is described as a “humorous philosophical treatise on habit and expectation”.
There were certainly some laughs, especially at the near slips of the glass as Layes nodded his head and moved around. However, there was also some bewilderment and unfortunately the intended profundity, if not lost, was literally watered down.
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