Rising Violins is VAT Teater’s new physical theatre work, based on the screenplay by iconic Estonian cartoonist/animator, Priit Pärn. Although you may wonder whether Pärn’s particular graphic, inky cartoon style might also be portrayed within the design (Pille Kose) and lighting/videography (Romi Rutta), the work is rather dressed with a sleek and modern aesthetic, with nods to Pärn through the expressive performances and cyclical rhythms within his story. This exciting new work is riveting – action filled yet poetic – and underpinned by strong, cinematic mise-en-scènes, which are a credit to the whole creative team.
While many contemporary theatre works may contain elements of physical theatre, especially in theatre for younger audiences, it’s not so common here to see it as the leading form. Director Tanel Saar and choreographer Hanna Maria Saar have delivered a compelling performance – a nuanced narrative which holds the audience captive through rushes of anime-style fight scenes which bend time and somehow cinematically pan or zoom in on a humorously pained expression, to intimate scenes reminiscent of Frantic Assembly’s weaving contact movement style which can articulate a whole conversation without words.
The narrative, set in Japan, follows the life paths of a pair of twins whose lives are soon split dramatically apart. This splitting of life paths and starkly different choices is somewhat of a motif in the work – the audience is led through loops of time through beautifully choreographed cycles of movement (Hanna Maria Saar) and a driving sound design (Kristjan Kallas) performed live on an acoustic and electronic drum set (Kallas) and violin (Mio Iidas).
Written and verbal language (in Japanese and Estonian) are used with restraint to rhythmically punctuate, caption or signpost the main turns in the show’s journey. Guiding chapter titles and filmed mini-monologues are projected on a scrim, looming over the set which grounds us in place – a Japanese street corner, power lines and street lamp. The layered sheets of roofing arc downwards and offer an additional playground for the dynamic performers who leap, climb, fall and fly across every inch.
The themes of doubles, repetitions, symmetry and opposites come to the surface through the stark similarities and differences of the twin characters, skillfully portrayed by Martin Mill and Mait Joorits, and in multiple roleplaying by Louisa Lõhmus. Physical theatre and dance theatre can have blurred boundaries and both forms are greatly elevated by performers with extensive physical training. The ensemble of Rising Violins seem to give their all on stage, resulting in several moments of evocative performance.
My B1 Estonian was certainly put to the test in hearing the Japanese language and decoding the Estonian subtitles, but as the narrative is mostly physical, I would still strongly encourage a non-Estonian speaker to attend. In saying that, I’d also encourage the Estonian theatre community to offer English surtitles when possible. In works such as this, or when surtitles are already being offered in Estonian, it seems like a missed opportunity not to double them with English as well in order to encourage our increasingly international community to support Estonian theatre.
Rising Violins is a poetic performance of symmetry and opposites, clashing and dancing together. I congratulate the creative team and performers on a dynamic and compelling work. The next performances spread across September, October and November at 1900 in the VAT Theatre – Sakala 3.
Author: Shannon Quinn
Actor / playwright / illustrator Aussie born, Eesti living. Insta: @shannons.cannon Website: www.shannonmakestheatre.com
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