House of Sand. 2 Mar 2018
Director Charles Sanders is spot on when he describes his sister’s work as having “the logic of memory, dream and emotion.”
Pedal offers an extraordinarily striking range of contrasting images in movement and colour presenting themselves as a sort of tale peddled to the audience, as Eliza Sanders ‘cycles’ from one phrase of choreography and word song to the next.
It’s quite captivating once you surrender to it. There’s a sense this tale is one of a journey to another country, or another place within the self. Sanders is robed in a delightful multi coloured one piece costume, the set comprising a bare stage crossed by two long washing lines with pegs, suitcase and a small mirror representing water, rules the space. Sanders fills it with known contemporary moves, some highly exotic, some fabulist in construction.
Words repeated become at one with repeated actions. Beautiful songs wistfully glide aside the choreography. Moments addressed to the audience seem half an appeal to engage us directly and half to shift the direction of the piece, as if something stronger is needed to peddle the audience successfully.
A magnificent Fringe experience in the true spirit of the term.
David O’Brien
4 stars
When: 28 Feb to 17 Mar
Where: Holden Street Theatres, The Studio
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
