Photo by Douglas JonesBetween the dusk and the dark, what terrors lie? Multi-award winning Fringe regulars Grid Iron and award-winning Scottish composer and pianist David Paul Jones take you on a journey through life. And death. Read more …
What Remains is an immersive theatre piece that utilizes its location in the Medical School and its proximity to the Anatomy Museum to explore the theme of human remains: what happens when our spirit leaves? What mark do we leave on the world once darkness falls? And what are the connections between the human body and the body of a piece of music?
The central character, a moody and obsessive pianist, conjures up the ghosts of his past pupils. Fascinated by the perfection of the musical scale and the anatomy of music, he measures himself and his pupils against the demands of the piano, which becomes a malevolent presence in the space.
Is the precision required of a doctor or surgeon the same precision required to realise a Ravel Concerto? And are we all, in life, expected to perform, to practice, to reach the perfection that the piano teacher demands? As the sustain pedal is released on the dying notes of a sonata, what remains?
An interesting concept, then, but an underwhelming result. Or, as Prendergast himself might say, needs to go deeper into the bone.
One is neither afraid nor much inclined to care.
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh from Thursday August 4, 2011, until Sunday August 28, 2011. Multiple start times, and performed at Edinburgh University Medical School-Anatomy Department. For further details, check the Traverse website.. More info: www.traverse.co.uk
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