REHEARSALS are in full swing for Rubicon Dance Company’s TRIPLE BILL which will open on September 22 at Newport’s Riverfront Theatre.
Journeying through the past, present and future Rubicon’s debut TRIPLE BILL draws inspiration from science fiction, the inside of a therapy room and the boisterous antics of a group of pub regulars. With high octane performances from 8 of Wales’ most exciting dancers this TRIPLE BILL draws on the highs and lows of the human experience.
Opening the programme is Read-Only Memory which imagines a distant future in which society subverts technology to control and punish its citizens. Choreographed by Rubicon Dance Company’s Creative Director, Jamiel Laurence, Read-Only Memory draws us into an authoritarian regime where affection is outlawed and must be cracked down upon. The result is heart breaking.
24HR lays bare the mental health crisis with incredible athleticism and features a poignant Welsh language soundscape. Choreographer, Anna Watkins’ honesty is both emotional and cathartic and many will recognise how difficult it can be to ask for help.
Closing the show is High Jinks by Marcus Jarrell Willis which is a joyful celebration set in the pub somewhere in the 1930s where a group of friends tease each other, fancy each other, play jokes and generally enjoy each other’s company. High Jinks harks back to a simpler time of best nights and great times. With precise choreography, wit and extraordinary musicality High Jinks is an instant classic.
Kathryn Williams, Director of Rubicon Dance, says: “We have all been through a lot in recent years and in truth we don’t quite know what the future holds. After so long apart, with few chances to come together for shared moments like this, we wanted give people the chance to experience brilliant live performance delivered with compelling physicality and clever storytelling for a thoroughly great night out.”
Jamiel Laurence, choreographer of Read-Only Memory, and Rubicon Dance Company’s Creative Director says: “I’m a big fan of science fiction and I was inspired by an interview with ‘Dune’ director Dennis Villeneuve in which he talks about how the design of the film shaped the storyline. Sci-fi is hardly ever seen in the world of dance and I wanted to use it as a way of telling a very human story. In Read-Only Memory a prisoner is brought before a memory projection device and he is forced to relive some of his most painful memories. The prisoner is made to engage with the Read-Only Memory machine which generates an avatar who encounters his long-dead, cold and distant mother, his cruel father, a high ranking official in the regime, and the deceptive sprint of the machine.
Read-Only Memory is perhaps a cautionary tale as society becomes more and more reliant on technology to function but what happens when it falls into the wrong hands and it’s used against us?”
The TRIPLE BILL also includes new work by Anna Watkins and Marcus Jarrell Willis.
Anna Watkins, choreographer of 24HR says: “There’s a lot of discussion about mental health and how difficult it is to access help. 24HR is partly inspired by personal experience and brings together the physical and emotional to amplify my message. During the creation process I became intrigued by the Welsh language and the rhythm it creates so I’ve incorporated Welsh into the soundtrack which is spoken by company dancer Luke Bafico.”
Marcus Jarrell Willis, choreographer of High Jinks says: “I was partly inspired by the popular 1980s TV series ‘Cheers’ but my work is set in possibly the 1930s. In High Jinks a group of people go to the same pub every day. They have become great friends within this setting, it’s like a family but outside of the pub their paths never cross. I want Riverfront’s audiences to sit back and see themselves onstage and enjoy the show. It’s not only my mantra as a choreographer but very important from what I’ve learned about Rubicon who are so invested in engaging people from all walks of life in dance.”
- The World premiere of Rubicon Dance Company’s TRIPLE BILL will take place at Newport’s Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre, 7:30pm on September 22, 2022. For ticket availability visit the Riverfront website.