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Robin Cousins’ Ice
Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
***** IT’S a shame that in these days of mass
promotion, that the power of adjectives has been reduced to everyday
conversation. Even a chocolate bar is claimed to be ` amazing’ or `out
of this world ‘once some pretentious advertising company has had its way
with a client’s budget. Robin Cousins new stage production, whilst just
called apologetically ICE, is sub strapped with the line `Skating like
you have never seen before’ and so it to seems to submit to the need to
ramp up our expectations, but at least here it has the potential and
performance credentials to warrant a litany of superlatives rather than
some tired piece of confectionary. The fact is we` have’ seen skating like this
before but the major difference is it’s live, rather than on TV and it’s
in a theatre. TV somehow reduces action like skating to an observation
and what this ICE show does is involve you in the sensory experience of
witnessing some amazing athletic skills from a group of internationally
acclaimed performers, many who have spent their lifetimes to achieve
such a high level of professional ability. ICE skating has always been exiting because there
is a level of danger and the fall potential is high. Therefore just to
see first-hand some of the basic spins and jumps takes on a new level of
excitement when performed in the confines of a tiny theatre stage
compared to the expanse of a rink. When the action moves up to the complex Bounce
spin, this is whereby a man swings his partner by her ankles and her
head seems to nearly touch the ice at speed, you can’t help shifting
anxiously in your chair and applauding instantly when she returns safely
to her skates and feet. Besides great skill and choreography there is
aerial work above the ice, acrobatic stunts, lifts, jumps, comedy,
fantastic costumes, lighting , effects, excellent music, and even a
little physical magic. The sum total of all of this is a stunning, breath taking and dynamic evening’s entertainment not to be missed and for once those adjectives are well warranted. To 27-04=14
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