Ottawa Fringe 2014. Eclipse

Reviewed by Kat Fournier

A group of kids meet on a beach in time for the eclipse. They are a wayward bunch of characters who are bent on enacting a surreal ritual; an invocation, of sorts, to the eclipse. But when a stranger arrives on the beach, their plan begins to go very wrong. The script, written by British poet Simon Armitage, is strange, repetitive, and hypnotic. It is nonsense verse, rife with bold imagery, rhyming couplets and riddles. A very tall order for this group of young actors, who unfortunately lose their footing in the demands of this challenging text. There are some really powerful moments where text, acting, and staging converge well. However, the staging is also hampered by clutter on the stage floor that interrupts the actors’ movements.

Eclipse

Written by Simon Armitage

Directed by James Richardson