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Review: TRAPLORD (Aviva Studios)

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Review by Jack McCabe

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Whenever I go to Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, I am amazed at the versatile nature of the space. Each performance I have attended has utilised the space in a completely different way to fit the aesthetic and atmosphere of the production, and TRAPLORD was no different. TRAPLORD is a piece brought to life by Ivan Michael Blackstock, combining dance, spoken word, live music and rap, which won the 2023 Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. It explores mental health and masculinity, asking the audience to explore the stereotyping of Black Men in society today.

 


Ivan Michael Blackstock is an independent artist who focuses his work on creating thought-provoking and political expressions of art. He founded CRXSS PLATFXRM and has choreographed for the likes of Beyonce, and his ability to express how he sees the world through art is mesmerising. In TRAPLORD, he has created a dense, personal and moving piece of art. The performance felt like moving between reality and dream, a raw and hard-hitting multi-media journey involving the audience from the very start. The first thing that struck me was the incredible lighting designed by Simisola Majekodunmi. When you walk into the space, it is almost pitch black, lit only by the cast on stage shining torches onto the audience intermittently. This, combined with Luke Swaffield’s sound design, instantly set the tone for the rest of the performance. The sound was loud and all encompassing, with heavy beats that punctuated the exploration of the themes of the show.

 

The 90-minute performance started with incredible energy from each of the 9 cast-members, most of them taking it in turns to rap at the audience with incredible, thought-provoking, and challenging lyrics. One of the highlights for me was the spoken word aspect of the show, with inspired, funny, and electrifying lyricism. I really felt like every word was directed at me, and the diction and cadence was flawless.


 

The cast were frustrated, defensive, forceful, yet gave the distinct impression that they wanted an escape. The theme of a rabbit in the headlights persisted throughout the show, and each one of them exploded whenever they were on the stage. I can’t remember seeing a performance with such energy as this. Two particular highlights were spoken word pieces exploring toxic masculinity and love, respectively. Social commentary at its best. They were reflecting on every-day struggles, suffered by themselves and their peers somehow able to integrate raw emotion and humour into the same piece.

 

What about the choreography? You won’t have missed that this won the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production, and I am not surprised. Each piece of choreography reflected perfectly the issues that were being represented. It was furious when it needed to be, and then seamlessly transitioned into desperation. A bone-breaking, almost contortionist routine had each audience member with their jaws to the floor. Self-reflection was another theme which was blended throughout, culminating in a beautiful routine performed into a mirror held up by members of the cast.



 This performance was quick and stacked with routine after routine. Some elements of the performance did seem to fall a little bit flat compared with the more hard-hitting and easily interpreted aspects. It felt to me like some routines lacked the energy that made the others so brilliant. This was particularly the case when there was no spoken word alongside the dancing, which allowed the cast to take the audience with them on the themes being explored. Without that, some ideas were more difficult to follow.

 

Overall, TRAPLORD was deeply impressive, an energetic, heartfelt tour de force. It was impossible to watch it and not be moved by these truthful narratives, beautifully performed.

 

TRAPLORD closes at Aviva Studios on September 29th

 

 

TRAPLORD will also play at Sadler’s Wells in May 2025

 

 

Photos by Camilla Greenwell

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