Duel Reality – Mât Chinois, Credit: Arata Urawa
Presented by Arts Emerson
Originally produced and created with Virgin Voyages
Directed by Shana Carrol
Performed by The 7 Fingers
Based on Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Featuring Nicolas Jelmoni, Soen Geinaert, Danny Vrijsen, Einar Kling-Odencrants, Anni Küpper,
Andreas De Ryck, Aerial Emery ou Méliejade Tremblay-Bouchard, Andrew Price, Kalani June,
Arata Urawa
Music by Colin Gagné
Lighting by Alexander Nichols
Acrobatic Coach: Francisco Cruz
February 7-19, 2024
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
219 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02116
Review by Craig Idlebrook
BOSTON, Mass. — In a presidential election year, can American audiences find joy in a Shakespeare-based tragedy about red-versus-blue factionalism?
Yes, thanks to the joyous movement-based storytelling that The 7 Fingers artistic collaborative brings to the stage. This troupe dazzles by combining snippets of dialogue and the heart of Romeo and Juliet with an hour-long air-defying spectacle of acrobatics that is likely to leave you smiling and at the edge of your seat.
One of the most endearing features of this production is that it strives to break down the barrier between audience and acrobats, at least in a safe way. This choice begins even at the very first moments of the show when members of a rival gang begin an argument in the theater crowd over a trivial slight. It quickly escalates to a choreographed mob fight, one which is at once both recognizable in its everyday stupidity and somehow still enjoyable to watch.
To break up the melee, a referee appears to organize the two gangs into a contest of acrobatic
skills. If this sounds like a time-honored device to put the bare bones of a plot to a show that is a compilation of acts, it is. We are soon treated to a dizzying array of acrobatic numbers. Showstoppers include an aggressive game of aerial seesaw and a gravity-defying game of one-upmanship on poles.
However, the beating heart of this show helps the audience stay connected and focused, as we are soon introduced to our star-crossed lovers. The show wisely slows down the action and gives the pair more space for a pair of earnest, if still mesmerizing, dance numbers, so we buy into what’s at stake. Thanks to this scaffolding, the bitterness of the rivalry can still break one’s heart, even as it makes one ooh and ahh at the action.
If there is a knock to mention about the show, it is the dialogue. It is largely drawn from the opening scenes of Romeo and Juliet. The “Do you bite your thumb at me, sir” part of the script, is never the most weighty of the Bard’s, but it can zing if done well. The troupe delivers the lines with gusto, but not always with diction or deep understanding.
However, they do maintain the energy and pace of the show during these small bits of conversation, so all is forgiven. I must include such a paragraph largely because there is so little to criticize about this show, which wears its big heart on its sleeve and connects with the audience in rare ways for acrobatic performances. If you need to seek some joy during the bleak February nights, I would highly recommend this show.
(Spoiler alert – things go better at the end of this production than in the original. The age recommendation is 6+. My nine-year-old was completely comfortable with the play-level of violence, but all children are different about such things. He still refuses to watch the taped production of Hamilton because actors mime bullets going across the stage.)
