We’ve all lost something at one time or another, whether it has been an object, someone’s love or something less tangible, like your dignity, so it’s likely that we can all identify with the main theme of Tangled Feet’s new show.
Set, surprisingly enough, in a lost property office, Lost Property tells the tale of six individuals in their search for something they’ve misplaced through a intriguing mix of speech, movement and well-selected music. On the surface this play is simply about the cast trying to reclaim something from the wonderfully staid desk clerk, but, by delving a little deeper, it is easy to find layers of interesting subtext and emotional issues that flesh out the heart of the piece.
As each scene is played out, it is difficult not to get sucked into the complex mental battles that the protagonists face and, as such, Lost Property is at times both dark and distressing. Thankfully, these low points are counterbalanced with some wonderful highs, most notably by the perfectly played ‘children’ of the piece, making this a real emotional roller coaster.
The most pleasing part of Tangled Feet’s method is that the movement just doesn’t pad out a sparse script. Instead of being unintelligible to the layperson, it is easy to interpret and really adds another dimension to the cornucopia of feelings already flying around the room. It could be argued that this pushes the senses too much but I think that they have just managed to strike the right balance between being dizzying and incomprehensible.
It is hard to fault a single element of this play, though I feel that the initial dialogue could be tightened slightly. It’s a tiny quibble and, barring that, Lost Property is a thoroughly rounded piece of physical theatre that obviously plays on the strong points of its cast and, as a result, is an amazingly engaging and exciting piece of new drama.
5/5
Richard Biggs
