Tiger Tale is an effective culmination for all the senses; an exquisitely beautiful story for all ages. Focusing on a disconnected family’s response when a tiger comes to visit, the show is visually and audibly captivating. Tiger Tale is one of two shows being presented by Barrowland Ballet this year and this one is designed for children. With creative artists from different genres contributing to this show, all aspects are well thought through and presented.
Due to its multi-sensory and interactive nature, this show kept a room full of young children captivated for nearly an hour.
There are just three dancers, the mother, the father and the child. Each dancer skilfully represents their given character, performing in perfect unison; the relationship between the characters unfolds before your eyes.
The show is enclosed in a large cage which subverts our understanding, making the family captive. The set is constructed from a large open sided metal frame laced with elastic. The elastic gives the effect of webbing and it is leant on and climbed through by the dancers. Strung at the top of the cage are lots of metal buckets. Without wishing to spoil, through the course of the performance these are used in a very imaginative way, creating an opportunity for audience interaction.
The imagery in this show is delicate but very effective. Hints of orange are incorporated into the father's costumes (who later becomes the tiger), indicating to the audience that something magical is about to happen. Once the father has changed completely into the tiger, his costume is bright orange and face-paint is applied to create stripes. The design element of this show works so well with the dancers capabilities, accentuating the story and wonderful choreography. Vince Virr’s tiger is wonderfully charming and entertains the audience with his close up action. The audience is subject to legs, arms and feet in the face, and this really brings the animal to life.
The musical accompaniment for this piece is outstanding. Composed and performed by Kim Moore, the soundtrack is a mix of recorded tracks, live instruments and live vocals. The music not only compliments the movement but generates an environment that is calming yet exciting. The show and the performers are highly skilled and for this reason I was unsure of how connected the younger members of the audience would be. Yet due to its multi-sensory and interactive nature, this show kept a room full of young children captivated for nearly an hour.
The end of the show is just as charming as the rest, but is made extra special by a little treat for the audience. But if you want to know what it is, you’ll just have to go along and catch this superb show for yourselves.
