A group of ordinarily dressed adults are moving about the stage talking in groups or pairs, playing games and occasionally exchanging words.
Spanish music plays over the scene as you walk into the Mission Theatre before ‘Final Test’ begins.
The scene, like one out of Pedro Almodóvar movie, is serene yet unsettling as they all suddenly rush into a huddle and force smiles. It is unnerving in a way that makes you want to laugh uncomfortably.
When the performance begins it becomes clear that the mood created was to be continued. Jilting, fragmented pieces of music are interrupted by an omniscient voice. Such conviction is held throughout sections of fluid dance into jarring fight scenes which are flawless in timing and placement.
Repulsive and uncomfortable moments open into humourous ones, with audience members audibly laughing during a western style showdown over a glove. A mixture of dance and acting students from Bath Spa University make up the company and the two disciplines combine seamlessly without obvious distinction between them.
Storytelling and ingenuity seen in dance mixes with the finish and presentation of theatre and allows the performance to portray ideas and a narrative that could be lost in dance alone.
The brief thirty minutes in which you are immersed in the dystopian, big brother style room are packed with fear, amusement, disgust and awe. It is carried effortlessly by the talented cast. Humour mingles with malice as Final Test leaves you with more questions than resolutions and a slightly bitter aftertaste.
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Reviewer: Victoria Roe | Rating: Four stars | Production: Onset Productions at Bath Spa Live
