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ED2011 4/5 Reviews ED2011 Dance & Physical Theatre Reviews
Slender Threads (Chickenshed)
By Thea Warren | Published on Sunday 21 August 2011
This multi-faceted piece eschews melodrama, engaging the audience through its intimate portrayal of the everyday struggles and ruminations of a woman with breast cancer. The lead actress has a colloquial, every-woman quality, and remains refreshingly undefined by her disease; in one scene, she explosively rejects her husband’s instinctive attempts to fuss over her like an invalid. The piece is deceptively simple, demonstrating the impact of diagnosis on relationships, and covering the dehumanising side-effects of treatment. Whilst the multimedia element feels superfluous at times, the dialogue is complemented by inventive, expressive movement sequences performed by a strong, poised supporting cast. The piece is informative without being patronising, gentle yet darkly comic, and tells an important story about pragmatism and hope.
Zoo Roxy, 5 – 28 Aug (not 10, 17, 24), 5.15pm (6.15pm), £7.00 – £10.00, fpp176.
tw rating 4/5
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