Siro-A’s audio-visual spectacular is currently enjoying an eleven-week run at London’s Leicester Square Theatre.
The Japanese group, who hail from Sendai, number six – four lithe dancers plus a videographer and sound engineer who lurk in the background. Set against a heavy, pulsing techno beat their hour-long show features intricately choreographed projections, LED suits, lights and lasers. Highlights include a fun section that references some of the best games from the eighties (including a certain Italian plumber), a breathtaking sequence which involves the group ‘catching’ projections and keeping in perfect sync with them as they move around in three dimensions (much, much easier said than done) and the finale, where the group and their projected doppelgängers move in and out of white sheets suspended on the stage. The video trickery involved in this sequence ensures that you soon lost track of who is real and who is a projection – it made my head spin!
Beyond SIRO-A’s slick and glossy presentation the quirky and sometimes bizarre Japanese sense of humour is often at the fore – one sequence involving a ‘day in the life’ of Abe Toshinori, one of the dancers, would have been crass in the hands of European performers but here it was unutterably sweet, particularly when a photograph of his extended family appeared front and centre on the stage. The coy and rather deferential London references throughout also brought a smile to the face, particularly the gentle passing of virtual corgis between members of the crew and the momentary appearance of an I ‘heart’ London t-shirt.
A feast for the eyes and ears, SIRO-A’s show at the Leicester Square Theatre is highly recommended – it runs until 22 April and you can find tickets online here. If you want to see some material before deciding on whether this show is for you then check out their Facebook page and their Twitter feed where they are sharing updated photographs and video. Here’s the latest, featuring scenes from the new show:
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