Double Vision


Reviews
An evening of stridency, anarchy, herstory and self parody. What a double act Aggiss and Vincent make, her plain speaking, becoming shrill to exhibitionism, becoming still. Dissonance and harmony. And the pathetic passing of time. Why do we go on and on and on??! Indeed.
Carol Brown

The programme declared that Double Vision was like a female Morecombe and Wise doing a bit of Beckett, badly, which is not a bad summary of how the work appeared. Vincent was a suitably exasperated foil to the Little Ern of the pair, and although Eric Morecombe remains incomparable, this evening with Liz Aggiss showed her own comedic and artistic credentials are still burning just as brightly.
Graham Watts www.ballet.co.uk/dcforum/happening/7211.html

She loves performing, wants to be seen and heard, hates namby-pamby touchy-feely ‘ processes’ – thinks people should decide what to do and then do it. She, on the other hand, prefers not to perform, likes to take control, enjoys the role of director. She wears a gunmetal silver stain evening gown and heels, dyed blonde hair chignon skewered with chopsticks; whilst she wears a modest forest green wool dress, opaque black tights and sensible shoes. Meet Queens of the Night Liz Aggiss and Charlotte Vincent, whose carefully crafted duet, magnificently performed, explores what it means to perform.

I have something I’d like to show you……And I want you to know that I don’t like people telling me what to do” says Ms. A, as she gallops across the stage, clompety-clomp, banging her drum. “Could you do a bit less,” asks Ms. V “ How small can you make it?”

In its mathematically tight structure, use of rhythm and repetition, stark utilitarian staging (desk, chairs, blackboard) and foolish props (dagger, joke hats, toy drums), Double Vision shares territory with the work of Forced Entertainment. Immaculate timing and choreographic precision we expect (and get) from these two highly experienced dance artists (But are they acting their age? Aha! Interesting question. Next…..)

It is also, surprisingly, a clown show – the humour is knowing, at times side splittingly funny and the way the two women play off each other is a clear nod to the classic clowning traditions of diametrically opposed pairings (from Laurel and Hardy to Eric and Ernie). Enterprising entertainment. Brave ladies! Take a bow, do!.


Dorothy Max Prior Total Theatre Vol 21, Issue 02, Summer 2009

Previous Performances
2009 Robin Howard Theatre London, Greenroom Manchester, Nuffield Theatre Southampton, Sallis Benney Theatre Brighton, Junction Cambridge, The Foundry University of Sheffield SU, The Point Creation Centre Eastleigh.