Continent by CAVA
OzAsia Festival, Space Theatre, 15 to 17 Sept 2011
Bizarre, funny, dramatic, physical, touching: words that spring to mind when attempting to sum up Continent, the latest show from Japanese mime comedy team CAVA.
Pronounced 'saba', the group’s founding members Takaaki Kuroda and Hiroyuki Fujishiro started as a duo in 2003 after graduating from the Japan Mime Studio. Early success saw them quickly grow to include Thin Hosomi, Hiroyuki Fujishiro and Yukiko Tanaka, and last year the theatrical mime troupe took on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Continent. They came away winners, scoring impressive audiences and rave reviews.
Continent is great show that features a largely successful mix of physical theatre, comedy and dance. The story develops from the mind of a writer as he dreams up the novel that finally wins him a coveted publishing deal. It runs through a hilarious set of events that wind in and out of reality as we follow the adventures of his novel in the very moments at which they are created.
CAVA have chosen the perfect medium for overcoming language barriers, with mime, props, music and comedy providing all the cues you need to follow the story. Their physicality needs some work, it’s neither as tight nor impressive as it needs to be, but the overall package makes for a fun night out.
Nicole Russo
