The work of France and Canada based company Sens Equivoc, directed by Olivia Faye Lathuilliere, has taken inspiration from Jacques Lecoq and his methods of physical theatre. La Causese combines mime, dance, physical and object theatre with a little bit of magic…With the help of fake hands, you would think she had a twin.
Lathuilliere enters awkwardly, ticket in hand, searching for her seat. Behind her, in the spotlight, a red velvet loveseat reminiscent of one you may find in a theatre. It looks very comfortable and desperate to be stroked. La Causeuse is representing her other half, her relationship, but it seems Lathuilliere is having an issue with finding the right position.
It seems like some kind of inside joke, about audiences entering the theatre with their ticket, unable to find their seat, then unable to sit still. The music is like that of a classical film and the lights create an aisle on the stage as if the character could be any one of us in the theatre, and it probably has been.
She is self-conscious, her eyes are bulging out of their sockets, she is very anxious because of our presence. She is about to dive head first into the back of a chair, and her memories of a past love. She takes us through the ups, downs and the inside-outs as she straddles the chair, slides through it and climbs inside. We watch as her relationship ravels and unfolds until finally the entire thing is torn apart.
There are talks in the audience post-show about going home to try out all the different ways you can sit on a chair, but there’s a lot more to this piece than the simplicity before your eyes. It’s not only about your relationship with your spot on the couch and how much of your time you spend there but how much time is wasted on relationships not destined to last. Lathuilliere is graceful, yet wacky, and somehow manages to keep a straight face throughout this delightful performance, with a wonderful supporting character La Causeuse.