DV8 To Be Striaght With You

I must firstly note that i have really enjoyed watching some of DV8's early work; including Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men, Strange Fish, and my favourite The Cost of Living. Each of these films contain some amazing physical theatre, and were the main reason for me choosing to do physical theatre at university. I have not looked back since, and am continuously surprised and pleased at what i see, no matter how many times i have seen them.


It seems that the majority of work produced by DV8 is interested with the exploration of sexuality within society. How it is or is not accepted, and people's feelings about sexuality, including homophobia.


Until now, their work seems only to suggest others' opinions about homosexuality, and does not include any real stories or opinions. To be Straight With You shows actual interviews taken from people about their views on religion, culture and homosexuality; specifically the views from and about homosexuals from Jamaican and Muslim societies. So it uses verbatim theatre throughout, with the only spoken words on stage being taken from interviews.



This was a great performance to watch, becasue it allowed me to see how verbatim can be used in physical theatre. The focus was mainly upon the script, and the words being spoken, but the actions and dances really complimented the words. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for more, and really didn't want it to end. I felt compelled by how real everything was; not all of the interviews were spoken by the actors, but played as a voice over alongside their actions. This was extermely interesting, and highlighted the fact that all of the words were taken from actual interviews that they had conducted or found from previous recoredings.



The visual imagery was absolutely amazing; timing and precision with regards to the actors interaction with projection was perfect. At times i became so wrapped up in their world that they had created for us, i felt as if i was in some future land, or in fact a computer.