Forgetting Natasha – Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds

Writer: Anna Mae Selby

Director: Heather Eddington

Reviewer: Katie Lee

The Public Reviews Rating:

‘I am a city at 4am, waiting to happen’ is one of the beautiful lines written by poet and writer Anna Mae Selby that drives this movement-based theatrical work. It is spoken by Natasha, the protagonist, who is lost in a world without her memories. While she stumbles to find them, we are shown snippets from her past, embodied by other dancers and images.

A gauze curtain provides the base for a series of projections that create frameworks for movement. Particularly charming is a use of moving borders, like a conveyor belt across the front of the stage. Dates are projected above the performers and turns are taken to fill the frames according to narration. A display of wallpapers through the ages grounds Natasha’s distant memories, which range from Nana’s funeral to leaving for art school.

A succinctly observed moment derives from a miniscule duet to R.E.S.P.E.C.T., which is ultimately nostalgic and evokes the premise of fond memories being awoken from the lonely depths of the subconscious. The cast’s range of accents aid the setting of the performance in an unknown place. Location is unimportant in this work, although a reference to Amsterdam adds a bohemian depth to Natasha’s character.

The unique selling point of this production is the adept use of digital media to create multiple layers of design. The projections are almost another performer in the mix, as the group dance with the animation as you would with a partner. Having toured previously, this production is slick and polished. It fits perfectly in the Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, with the technological aspects complimented by the contemporary studio space.