for.GIVEn is a disquieting piece of physical theatre that deals with the relationship between sexual and physical violence and substance abuse in the lives of adolescent girls.
for.GIVEn is a disquieting piece of physical theatre that deals with the relationship between sexual and physical violence and substance abuse in the lives of adolescent girls.
In the work, director and performer Nadine Joseph – who is also a choreographer – dances alone across the stage to tell a painful story.
for.GIVEn is a collaboration between Joseph and composer Daniel Nubian, who have been working together since 2010.
Using visceral language and an intricately woven original score the piece seeks to displace audiences and position them in the mind of the performer, creating a journey echoing that of a recovering addict.
Her performance is shifted to a different gear by the intense, overwhelmingly unsettling original score by Nubian.
He says he created short, strange 'soundscapes' to represent the episodic, unfulfilling nature of addiction.
"It's not an easy show to watch," says Joseph, and indeed it isn't – it doesn't have easy answers, or even difficult ones.
It's an exploration into a complex and sensitive social issue, and Joseph's not here for people who want effortless entertainment.
As long as they leave the theatre having felt moved to act, to reevaluate, to think about things differently, she's content.
for.GIVEn is presented by negatIve entertAinMent® and is showing at PJ's on 29 June at 10am & 6pm, 30 June at 12pm & 6pm and 1 July at 4pm.
It's worth a watch if you are a physical theatre fan, interested in the subject matter or looking for something different. Don't take your kids.
