Young Critic Review: NEIL JONES – Gingerland (World Premiere)
Lichfield Cathedral was a beautiful location for the debut of Neil Jones’ new show ‘Gingerland’. Themes of acceptance and individuality were elevated by the welcoming setting and the sunset provided a moody lighting change as the show progressed. The company featured many talented dancers and singers resulting in an artistic and innovative performance, exhibiting Jones’ exploration outside of his ballroom expertise.
The show’s opening number was unexpected and rousing, revealing the story’s cyclical structure. Its subsequent flashback sequence was extremely impressive; the dancers reversed their movements, dancing backwards and moonwalking forwards, earning enthusiastic applause and cheers from their audience. The audience were given foresight of the charismatic lead dancer as a motivating protester which contrasted with her original characterisation as ashamed and quiet. This suggested to the audience that, no matter their own fears, they can progress to speak up for themselves.
Standout performers included the narrator, dance soloists and, of course, the choreographer Neil Jones himself. The narrator sang with a confident vibrato and created audience interaction through his almost pantomimic facial expressions, both dominating the stage in his scenes and stepping back during dance numbers. His rapport with other actors was noticeable, suggesting the intense preparation that resulted in such an original performance. The first female solo-turned-duet was stunning, blending clear, technical ballet training with aggressive commercial dance to create a textured contemporary piece. It was inspiring, as a ballet student, to see classical technique translate into such a modern project. The use of costume and set to duplicate the lead dancer further conveyed her character’s intense shame and secrecy as she danced. Furthermore, the hip hop soloist was a huge crowd-pleaser; his stunts were enthusiastically applauded as he held himself up by one hand or his head and span dizzyingly. It was even more impressive that he did so in a fairly limited space. Neil, the man many were there to see, of course stole his own show the moment he began to dance. My favourite performances of his were those during Act 2, especially when he joined in group dances. Jones was born for ballroom and, whenever he danced, it reminded the audience of his talent. His choreography played to his dancers’ strengths and fluctuated somewhere between serious and slightly camp, creating a dynamic piece.
As the debut of an original show, it was not a perfect performance, but, as they say, is that not the beauty of live theatre? The industrial production of the original score, though impactful, obscured some lines, perhaps a lower volume or slightly softer accompaniment could have prevented these difficulties. The performers, however, must be credited with overcoming technical challenges, especially, as near the end of Act 1, their soundtrack failed, and the narrator was left to complete his song acapella. With the lead dancer’s support, he successfully completed the song, even involving the audience’s applause as live percussion! The cast still ended the first half on a high despite the technical error.
Overall, ‘Gingerland’ was a creative and alternative foray into modern dance from one of the country’s most famous ‘Strictly’ performers. From gracing our screens every weekend, to strutting the stage in Lichfield Cathedral, the villain of his own show, Neil Jones is a star performer, and ‘Gingerland’ is clearly a very personal project to him, its concept being, in his own words, ‘What [he] knows best, being ginger!
By Amy S