In The Shadow of Picture Frames

So, last night we had Green Eyed Zero in with their current show, in The Shadow of Picture Frames. It turns out that Bradon Forest were the first venue to book the company... just in case you ever get that question in a pub quiz!

The company are Rachel and Seb, a young and innovative couple of performers who met at Circomedia. They have incorporated their cocktail of skills to create a really interesting and different piece of theatre, combining circus skills and visual media to tell their story. In the Shadow of Picture Frames starts with a young couple arriving at their new flat. They are obviously head over heels in love with each other, and we enjoy their giddiness as they set up home. The dark side of the story is then introduced as we hear the ringing of an old telephone. When the phone is answered there is no reply on the other end, and this causes the girl to worry. They have already heard arguments and shouting from the flat above them, and there is concern that someone needs their help. The young couple start to disagree about what to do, and the phone calls continue. Frustration and tension mounts as an old diary is found, and the once close couple start to feel they can no longer communicate with each other. Seb uses his juggling skills to illustrate his puzzlement of the situation, and how he's trying to work through the problem. (He's also pretty quick at the Rubik's Cube!) After the climax of events (I won't give this part away), Rachel and Seb pull the sheet down from the centre of the set to reveal the frame you see on the posters. We are then treated to a physical sequence where the pair throw themselves around the open cube. This beautiful piece of theatre demonstrates where the couple are at this stage, and how they feel they are in opposite places. The tense, silent movement is in stark contrast to the chatty, lovable, endearing characters we met at the start of the play.

We all really enjoyed the performance, and especially liked the story. It was a very sad love story, and beautifully illustrated through the movement. The play relied on the physicality of expression rather than spoken dialogue, and the students were buzzing about the show the following day and really enjoyed analysing it amongst themselves. They are a really lovely company to work with, and completely professional. See if you can check them out on the rest of their tour. They are a really lovely company to work with, and completely professional. Green Eyed Zero would be a highlight in anyone's calendar!