A Contemplation of Hot Cat Collective’s Darkside

The Edinburgh Fringe is one of those overwhelming experiences in which everyone is throwing advice and show recommendations your way and you know in your heart that most of the people you promise to come and see you’ll never make it to. However! However, when one of your friends goes to see the same show every night of its run that’s a clear indication that it’s something you should probably check out. This was the case for Hot Cat Collective’s Darkside, with one of our flatmates coming in at god knows what time having seen one of the latest shows possible. It took me until their final night to actually see the performance, but when I did I understood (and I’ll be honest was sad that I didn’t get the opportunity to see it more than once).

To say that Darkside was a play is selling it short, rather it was a blending of mediums, bringing dancing into a traditional straight play. When first encountering the concept of Tom Stoppard meets Pink Floyd, one can’t help but be sceptical. How on earth can someone possibly find a way to combine Stoppard with The Dark Side of the Moon seamlessly and successfully? Impossible, no? No! Sitting in the theatre, I couldn’t help but feel like I was witnessing something… magical? Profound? New? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. All I can say is that I would love to see more of it.

Hot Cat Collective took the play and the music and merged them together, utilising the skill to be found not only in Oxford Drama but also the contemporary dance society. Through the use of costume, a clear separation was established between the dancers and the actors, a blurry line certainly, but a clear one. Gillian Konko’s performance of Emily McCoy was beautiful to witness, both heartbreakingly emotional and physically skilled as she moved between the two forms of performance; the merging point. While I could wax lyrical about each of the individual performances, I will simply say that this was a talented ensemble of actors and dancers who clearly had the chemistry and skill to create something which felt both unique and deeply moving. Perhaps it’s the dancer in me, but I found this one of the most striking and memorable shows I saw at the Fringe this year. Yes, as a reviewer I seek talent and innovation and quirks (such as the moment in which Ted Fussell had the opportunity to perform from his seat at the tech desk), but ultimately I look to be moved, to experience something new that makes me think differently about theatre. This was one of those beautiful moments.

It was a pleasure to witness something wholly new, the show not quite being play or dance or physical theatre. It was clear that the creative team had worked closely with the music, understanding precisely how they wanted to use it and how to choreograph a powerful performance. Even without knowing those involved, this would have been clear for audiences to see. I understand that this is less of a review than a musing, an appreciation for an art form, but what is a blog if not the opportunity to express one’s thoughts? I’m certainly curious to see what else we can expect from this talented group of performers.

Image courtesy of Freddie Houlahan