Miriam’s review of Happy As Larry
Shaun Parker & Company present ‘Happy as Larry’
COMICAL, ENLIGHTENING, FUN, GREAT AND UNIQUE!
Happy as Larry is an enlightening dance piece performed by Shaun Parker and company. It presents the question what makes us happy? And then answers this through exciting and exhilarating movement that is performed to many different aural accompanists and performed on a creative and wonderful set. The cast of the characters is developed from the Enneagram , a psychological system that maps nine personality types: The Perfectionist; the Giver; the Performer; the Tragic Romantic; the Observer; the Devil’s Advocate; the Optimist; the Boss; and the Mediator.
The moment I walked into the theatre I was greeted by one of the company drawing figures of the audience on a chalkboard block. It was intriguing to watch and helped to set the scene for what was going to be a unique and crazy piece.
There was a variety of movement performed in the piece such as ballet, break-dance, roller-skating, jazz and highly physical contemporary dance. It was very entertaining as there was such variety and moments where we did not know what was coming next creating positive tension and excitement with the audience. It also meant that there was something for everyone! A lot of the movement involved travelling and also static and robotic moves which added funk and intricacy.
Solos, duos, trios and group sections made up the piece and really helped to present the idea of having our own personalities but alongside each other as we may all be different but these differences help us get along. It was all so interesting as one minute there would be a dancer performing amazing pirouettes and the next minute there would be a roller skating man flying around the space. There was also gestures used by one of the dancers for comical effect. What was incredible though was the focus of the dancers as it was brilliant, even when the audience were laughing which was intentional they still kept in character and this really showcases their professionalism. There was also exceptional gymnastics that leaves you shaking your head in astonishment! Similarly ball skills were shown with the basketball prop and also there was reference to ‘old skool’ dance moves which was combined with funky and great music that reminded me of an upbeat exercise video-it was mesmerising!
Moments were soft and slow and some were faster and more abrupt which created a fun and vibrant atmosphere that left you wanting more.
The set for ‘Happy as Larry’ was immense and contained a chalk board that was used throughout the piece as the dancers would draw and write on there. There were drawings of people, a symbol of no mobile phones and also a light switch which when the dancer touched altered the lights. It was very creative and clever. Similarly writing was used to communicate between the dancers without speech. The writings also allowed the audience to know what the dancers were saying, some of which was comical and made us all laugh out loud. Also there were moments where one dancer would draw round the other dancer with the chalk and follow their movements. There were moments where the dancers would follow the beat of the music. For example if it was a sharp and jagged beat then this would be drawn. Similarly if it was a softer music then the lines would be curved and less harsh. All in which helped create a piece of art in itself. It looked sporadic and like graffiti-certainly my favourite part of the piece. Other elements included the balloon arch and a basket ball that all helped set the scene and present the different characters.
There were spotlights and general bright lighting which helped to the audience focus on the stage and could also represent happiness!
The music was really well chosen and really lived up the standard of the movement and the set. It was really fabulous as there was a mixture of tempos which helped create many moods. There was also clapping as the dancers celebrated each other as part of the story, this really made the audience feel included in the show and well… happy!
I have to admit though I was so focused into the piece that I would not be able to tell you which sections reflected which characters or what movement correlated to the stimuli as the piece was so engaging and fun. I feel that it was an easy going piece that allowed you to be transported elsewhere and just let go!
Overall I would thoroughly recommend going to see this show as it touches on a topic that we could all do within lives! But when you leave the show it does not end there, you get a quirky badge and memories of a superb show!
