Gandini Juggling: Smashed at The Lowry Review
Gandini Juggling
Smashed
The Lowry, Manchester
7 December 2014
Reviewed by Victoria Daubney
Arriving at the Lowry Theatre in Manchester it seemed quieter than usual, but looked lovely and festive with all the Christmas decorations and lights up.
Heading to the Quays Theatre, the smaller of the two auditoriums, there didn’t seem the usual amount of people and unfortunately when everyone had taken their seats there were quite a few empty chairs. I must admit, when I had been telling friends I was going to see a juggling show there were a few raised eyebrows as they were surprised to hear a show of this type was out there.
I think juggling is mostly thought of as part of a circus act and I was intrigued to see how a complete show would be put together and keep the interest of the audience for the full hour.
This tour is called Smashed. There were 9 performers and the only props used were apples. The theme of the show was based around a tea party and there were piles of crockery placed around the stage. I kept waiting for these to be used during the show, but they appeared to be more of a visual aid as opposed to a juggling utensil. The skill of the performers was extremely impressive, and the choreography of the show was brilliant. The performance reminded me a lot of contemporary dance. The performers were constantly moving and at times, there were several mingled together, juggling the same set of apples as if they were one. It was very clever, and they worked together like one mind. The tricks and displays looked effortless, when you know it must have taken a lot of hard work to make it appear that way.
There were a few occasions where an apple would be dropped, but one of the characters would laugh hysterically at this, and so it made it seem like part of the show as opposed to an accident. I think each performer was supposed to have a character, but only a few seemed to portray their story and the links between each other. The music used suited the theme of the tea party, and the pace of the show. It was witty and humorous at parts, although at times I felt that some scenes were a little out of place.
I think a younger audience would enjoy the show as it was light-hearted and very good to watch. I felt I was looking for more of a story to unfold that wasn’t quite there, and was a little confused as to if there was one or not. The climax of the show descended into madness and the use of the crockery became apparent. The tea sets were to symbolise the name of the show and the performers took great delight in smashing them all over the stage. The apples that had been used previously were eaten, thrown and squashed in amongst all the broken tea cups and tea pots. It was a scene that wouldn’t have been out of place at the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland! Whilst symbolic, I didn’t feel this end scene really complimented the skill and hard work that had gone into the performance as a whole and I couldn’t help but feel that maybe I had missed something somewhere.
I was pleased to have had the opportunity to experience such a show, and enjoyed the modern twist on a classic skill but I’m not sure I would go again. It was easy to appreciate the technicality of the show and the skill of the performers but it wasn’t really my cup of tea. With that in a mind I would rate this show 3 out of 5.
Rating: 3/5
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 3AZ | 0843 208 6000
