Wednesday, August 14, 2002

Sarah Willcocks
The Stage

How the five performers mangae circus tricks in the pitch black is anyones guess. Using glow in the dark balls and tubing, the invisible performeres create an eye opening show of light. Hosted by Marlin, a one time busker from Houston, he amiable delivers the flashy opening by showign us just how many ways it's possible to juggle three orange balls. He's spot on with the quip: " I guess you are waiting for something else to happen." But then we are plunged into the darkness and Marlin's theatre of light starts to glow. The worlds of natural, artificial and metaphysical light are the inspiration as the stage illuminated with fireflys, fireworks or tropical fish. A neon matchstick man brings unexpected humour as his conception and disintegration are depicted. Also impressive is the geometry scene-three dimensional solids turn in space making the performance area look like a giant screensaver. The soundscape, ranging from a classical orchestra to a lone cackle of manic laughter adds to the mystique. Out of the dark, Luma pulls more tricks than a magician out of his hat.