A new show by Puro Caos, Muses follows the adventures of three muses who decide to free thenselves and start their own journey as artists.
Júlia Arquillo, Mirea Juanals and Mar Safont are the performers; the writers are Mireia Juanals (idea) and Puro Caos (script). The show mixes theatre, opera and movement with film and art installations. It is about women finding their own way in an industry dominated by the patriarchal male gaze and dominated by money.
Playing with the ideas of commerce, freedom and artistic expressions, Muses is more avant garde than accessible, although the playful way it mixes disco and poetry is infectious and makes for a happy watch. Don’t look for a coherent plot here, as Muses is more about pushing at the boundaries and thriving in the absurd.
This show will not be for everyone, and I found some of the speech hard to follow, but if you prefer your theatre to be a little different and challenging, you may find the work of Puro Caos to your taste. The performances are good from all three actors and, for such a short running time (around 50 minutes), a lot is packed in.
The company name, Puro Caos, translates into English as “pure chaos”, and that is what we get in Muses as these three break free and enter in the anarchic spirit of their artistic freedom. An impenetrable moment in which they don masks and express themselves through interpretative dance sits alongside a more traditional table discussion.
Languages also jostle together to give a sensory overload with lights, flashing images, and ever-changing soundscapes. Muses is an interesting show which captures the humour of the situation while dealing with the realities and pressures of being a female artist (not just “a man may take credit for your work”).
Both exhilarating and frustrating, Muses brings something new and innovative to the theatre space. It’s often just beautiful, and sometimes bizarre. I’m interested to see what Puro Caos have in store for us next.
Muses was livestreamed by The Space on 25 August and is available on-demand until 10 September.
Watch the show’s trailer here.