In a captivating display of physical storytelling, circus theatre company Ockham's Razor presents their latest production, Collaborator, at The Place in London. This mesmerising show serves as an intimate ode to the performing partnership and personal relationship of founders Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey, who first fell in love twenty-four years ago while training for the circus.
A Partnership Forged in Circus Training
Despite initially swearing they would never work together, declaring that "circus couples are a pain in the arse," Mooney and Harvey inevitably joined creative forces to establish Ockham's Razor. The company has become renowned for producing warm, insightful, and gently joyful circus theatre shows that emphasise humanity and genuine connection between performers.
After stepping back from performing to focus on directing following the birth of their daughter, the pair discovered they weren't quite ready to retire from the stage completely. Collaborator represents what they describe as "one last hurrah" – a final celebration of their performing lives together that traces their journey from hopeful anticipation to challenging days when nothing seems to synchronise.
Physical Conversations and Shared Energy
The production explores the theme of waves and shared energy throughout, examining how one person's energy might amplify or dampen another's within a partnership. This concept is demonstrated through simple yet telling games involving props, ropes, and particularly mesmerising pendulums that make waves of energy visibly ripple through the performance space.
There's a dreamy quality to the mellow pace of the show, with a contentedness that persists through both ups and downs, creating what many might describe as ultimate relationship goals. The effective soundtrack by Holly Khan blends so seamlessly with the action and emotional landscape on stage that audiences almost don't notice its presence, so perfectly fused is it with the performers' movements.
The Heart of the Performance: Trapeze Work
The emotional core of Collaborator emerges when Mooney and Harvey take to the trapeze, though in this case it's a square frame from which they hang, slowly lifting, curling, folding, balancing, and pretzeling themselves around each other. This isn't the pyrotechnic spectacle of Cirque du Soleil but rather an intimate, up-close physical conversation between two people who know each other profoundly.
Their trapeze work embodies all the trust, care, attention, and deep listening that characterises their relationship, along with the physical attunement and strength they offer one another. Like any long-term partnership, there's hard work evident too – nothing is glossed over or romanticised beyond recognition.
Tender Moments and Comedic Relief
In one particularly tender moment, Harvey hangs underneath the bar with the ball of his foot pushing upwards against the metal, while Mooney crouches on top with her toes mirroring his position. This tiny, possibly unintended detail creates a surprisingly poignant representation of yin and yang balance within their partnership.
The performance isn't entirely serene, however – earlier in their acrobatics, a toe comically almost goes up someone's nose, providing light relief and reminding audiences that even the most beautiful partnerships contain moments of awkwardness and humour.
This engaging short piece serves as a memento of what is clearly a beautiful and enduring creative partnership. Collaborator runs at The Place in London until 31st January before embarking on a touring schedule that will bring their final collaborative performance to audiences beyond the capital.
