(Lyn Gardner’s article appeared in the Guardian, 8/22.)
There is a moment at the start of this collaboration between Bertrand Lesca, who is French, and the Greek Nasi Voutsas, when they get the entire audience to hold hands in a circle. At the performance I saw, that involved quite a lot of physical contortions. It’s a metaphor for the EU in this wonderfully playful, intimate and utimately moving show, which constantly pits idealism against self-interest and pragmatism.
It’s a natty little piece, whose reach is so much more than its form might suggest. Lesca gives Voutsas a packet of sweets and then demands them back after Voutsas has eaten them. Soon, Voutsas is stripped down to his underpants and looking for a way to escape in a room in which there is no exit. With Lesca controlling both the lighting and the sound, it’s impossible to change the tune that is being played.