A complex piece with binaural sound and visuals, Dance of a Million Pieces is written by Gemma Rogers and Cary Crankson.
We are at Endy’s (Rogers) bedside. She is in that half-world between the living and the dead, the here and the not here. This is a piece of love, of sound, of music, of grief, and of goodbyes.
When Mion (Crankson) comes to the hospital to keep Endy safe and bring her home, we have a privileged window into their world. A succession of sounds and images, places and times.
At just twenty-four minutes, the imagination has enough time to race along as we gain some understanding of both this pair of lovers. It takes a while to settle into a rhythm you can easily understand, but coupled with the distortion on the scene, I surmised we were in Endy’s head.
The visuals can be interpreted as you wish: they range from the cold pulse of hospital corridors to flowers in the outdoors, and flashes of colour. Sometimes the sound balance (by Rafael Diogo) is set up so we feel we are straining to overhear. Perhaps we are unwelcome guests at times.
I would have felt more invested in the couple and their story had the play given us more backstory and explanation. However, both Rogers and Crankson perform their piece well, and most of us can probably relate with the confusion and emotional ambiguity that comes with a final goodbye.
Death of a Million Pieces is streaming in the Living Record Festival. You can purchase a ticket here.
LouReviews received complimentary access to review Death of a Million Pieces.