Review: Civilisation, Arnolfini – ‘Both captivating and cathartic’

Presented by MAYK, directed by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart and choreographed by Morgann Runacre-Temple, Civilisation follows a day in the life of young woman who has just returned from her partner’s funeral.

Performer Caroline Moroney draws the audience into the woman’s everyday movements that follow this life-changing event.

Whether frying eggs, using the hairdryer or phoning HMRC, it is a series of commonplace activities that lend the piece its structure, beautifully interwoven with movement and dance from a trio who perform unbeknownst to Moroney’s protagonist.

It is a skill when art can present ‘the everyday’ in just the right way, generating empathy and connection whilst offering the entertainment and escapism that we all seek as an audience.

Civilisation – photo: Alex Brenner

Civilisation triumphs in achieving this. It is both captivating and cathartic. Moroney’s performance is subtle enough to feel relatable but has enough verve and sharp comic timing to stretch across the 80 minute run-time.

When the piece opens she is writhing around with her hands behind her back as she struggles to unzip her dress. I laughed along while reminiscing about the number of times I have done this.

However, I also felt compelled to jump up from my chair and help the character out; it feels uncomfortable to sit and watch her struggling.

Built from strong motifs and stylistic coherence, the dance sections take on a routine, familiar quality that strings the piece together.

Photo: Alex Brenner

The three performers are fluid and mesmeric to watch, performing Runacre-Temple’s uncomplicated but playful movements with ease.

This choreography is interspersed with vivacious tracks from the likes of ABBA and Patti Smith, serving to underscore it with sudden jolts of energy.

Because these sections tend to follow periods of watchful silence, the piece does an excellent job of almost priming its audience for these exhilarating bursts of life.

The music blares and the pace picks up, and you’re sitting there thinking ‘that was a completely unpredictable but exactly what was needed’.

Photo: Alex Brenner

In other hands these contrasts could be jarring, but here they give the performance an auditory and visual symbiosis that mirrors the little highs and lows felt in daily life.

Civilisation reminds us we are all humans sharing the same experience, and at once uses this to make light out of the absurdity of the everyday.

It starts by offering us the story of an individual, but quickly shows us that grief and loss are collective, and universal.

To keep in touch with forthcoming productions and events from MAYK, visit www.mayk.org, or follow @maykithappen on Insta.

Main photo: Alex Brenner

Read more: Ten years of MAYK celebrated in new video

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