JENNIFER MACRAE is bowled over by the young talent on display in the latest Out of Eden extravaganza.

OUT OF EDEN is active in communities throughout the Highlands, drawing together diverse sections of society and empowering them through the creative arts.  ‘Northern Lights’ encapsulated their achievements and showcased local acting talent in a programme of 11 acts, exhibiting a wide range of dance, drama and short films.

‘Bright Lights’ was a mesmerizing dance piece of glow poi with an ambient dance track from Basement Jaxx.   Belenos Poi Group performed on a blacked out stage and were complimented by a spectacular in-house light show of interchanging circles of light.  The group deftly fused entrancing dance moves with the fluorescent poi torches to create the feeling of a mysterious underworld.
 
Nairn Youth Theatre performed a touching family drama piece called ‘The Dark and Light Side of Family Life’.  The young cast tackled the difficult issues of family illness, infidelity and bereavement, With lively performances from all the cast.  Acting talent really shone in the direct addresses to the audience, especially in the characterisation of Father Vic.

The Rhythm Stompers (aged 9 – 12) pulled out all the stops in the fantastically funky ‘Seven Years Bad Luck’.  Their seamless show of precision moves to high-energy beats from the Chemical Brothers produced a slick, entertaining piece of innovative dance.
 
Antix were another highlight of the evening’s programme. ‘The Prologue to The Great Cattle Raid’ chronicled the exploits of bronze-age super hero Cuchulainn, who according to an ancient Irish-Celtic saga protected Ulster against cattle raiding.

Eden Court’s own Youth Theatre players were bursting with enthusiasm and were a joy to watch.  As well as cattle raiding. there was a spot head slicing and dog murdering executed to superb visual effect; a magic touch was Scatha’s cave evaporating into a gaggle of girls.  A white-knuckle ride of comedic storytelling from beginning to end, this was as a formidable ensemble piece. 

“Like gothic banshees gone high voltage on hip hop/poi with more than a touch of the Timberlakes, this innovative and exciting dance was the high point of the night.”

‘Flushed’ – the fate of a boy’s dead goldfish, and the subject matter of the first of three Blue-Screen Shorts.  In a Trainspotting-esque moment, a young boy follows his dear depart fish down to the loo U-bend through all its unsavoury contents until he finally encounters a beautiful mermaid.  Using a variety of film techniques, with its graphics meeting somewhere between ‘South Park’ and Teletubbie Land, this was a quirky, inventive and funny short film.
 
There was a change of dance tempo in ‘Think of the Light’, with an atmospheric overhead visual of sunlight breaking through branches. ‘Just for Kicks and Off the Edge’ dance troupes seemed like aqua wood nymphs, and swept and swirled their way across the stage.  This was a complex contemporary dance involving some 16 performers, and while a graceful and enjoyable piece, it lacked pace, and built to a climax that didn’t quite hit its mark.

‘The Dodo’ was the next film installment, charting a young explorer’s travels to a desert island. The intrepid voyager discovers a Dodo and makes various attempts teach it to fly - with disastrous results.   There were some nice touches (including theme tune from ‘Mission Impossible’), and the bizarre graphics and comic book subtitles added to its eclectic appeal.
 
Greek tragedy was the challenging material performed in two scenes by the students from Eden Court’s Higher Drama class.  Helen Thompson played a defiant Antigone from Sophocles’ play of the same name, while Lachlan McKeggie’s portrayal of the blind Tiresias displayed a strong emotional connection to the character and rhythms of the text.   Amy Slater was reassuringly authoritarian as Leader of the Chorus.

A school trip to an art gallery had psychedelic consequences in ‘Picture Perfect’, the last film in the Blue Screen Shorts trio.  After falling into one of the gallery pictures, the central character revels in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ type experiences, including dancing with tortoises and flying on the back of a cockroach.  The grinning security guard added to its surreal quality.
 
‘Galvanize’ sparked against the thumping beat of the Chemical Bros as Inverness Youth Dance sparked on stage and riveted their audience for the grand finale.  Like gothic banshees gone high voltage on hip hop/poi with more than a touch of the Timberlakes, this innovative and exciting dance was the high point of the night.

On leaving the theatre awestruck by their versatility, there is no doubt in my mind that all these very talented young people are not just Northern Lights - they are Northern Flames.  Fire on!
 

© Jennifer MacRae, 2005