TWO | PICA | Until 23rd Sept | ★ ★ ★ ½
In the traditional Indian art of Kathak there is a strict relationship between the drummer and the dancer. The tabla player in the one in charge, setting the tone and determining the speed. While the dancer is the one who follows, interpreting their rhythms, driven by their beat.
And the dancer is forbidden from ever toughing the drums.
Using this artform as the basis for their work TWO, dancer Raghav Handa and tabla player Maharshi Raval explore how this relationship works, and what happens when the roles are intertwined and then reversed?
The work starts casually. The artists arrive, stretching and warming up, unpacking equipment and arranging the stage, casually chit-chatting about parking challenges and the day so far. It’s a slow warm up and things take a while to get to the boil, but as audience members we are effectively disarmed, and pulled into the trance-inducing qualities of the artform.
Whereas western cultures are so often four to the floor when it comes to beats, with shouts of 5,6,7,8! This style of music is filled with unexpected twists and ever-changing rhythms. While the first stanza might be eight beats long, we often finding ourselves cascading down shorter and shorter patterns, one minute we’re speeding along and the next moment the brakes are applied. A dancer following the drummer as to stay alert.
There’s a lovely interaction between the two performers, borne out of a real-life friendship and long creative collaboration. It not confronting or challenging, just beautifully pleasant.
The work takes through several phases., To say it has a narrative would be too strong a word, but we’re definitely on a journey, and intensity builds throughout the performance.
The real joy here is the phenomenal tabla playing from Maharshi Raval, he is sensational.
Clocking in around 50min in length it’s a short and sweet work that doesn’t out stay its welcome.
Catch the show at PICA until 23rd September.
Graeme Watson
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