A tale of discovery, identity and belonging, Nic Green‘s Fatherland endearingly traces the footsteps of her unknown father’s Scottish roots.
Even before entering the performance space, the unmistakable and patriotic tones of bagpipes could be heard reverberating through the halls of the Battersea Arts Centre. This served as a warm welcome to the audience members, as everybody took their seats. Created and performed by Nic Green, the piece cleverly incorporated audience participation, as five male audience members were asked to take to the stage and become an ensemble, reading out lines of dialogue in chorus. Having only met her father once, this added an endearing and poignant air to the performance, as the ensemble were symbolic of Green’s paternal heritage. It were as if this scene acted as a continuation of this meeting, as both Green, and the chorus spoke to each other in melodic and poetic verse. The piece then transitioned into a loud and celebratory occasion, as Green, accompanied by a band of thunderous drums, intensely built up her Scottish Highland and female warrior inspired dance piece, her performance space being a hand drawn circle created previously. Dressed in a baggy masculine suit, Green’s routine transitioned from authoritative stamps of the heel and graceful arm placements, to energetic and rebellious movements as she stripped off her suit. To conclude the performance, the audience were invited to fill their glasses with whisky, a welcoming gesture and sentiment reincorporating the theme of Green’s Scottish Heritage.
An explorative journey through the use of poetry, movement and dance, with an engaging concept, however towards the conclusion just lacked in momentum, 3/5.
Fatherland is currently showing at Battersea Arts Centre until Saturday 2nd November, for more information, click here…
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