A journey through space, and places on Earth unknown
When I found out, before watching the play, that As Long as the Stars Last was a non-verbal based show incorporating British Sign Language, my curiosity was piqued. I admit, I haven’t seen a great many forms of storytelling! But I do know this – an hour-long performance without any speaking has to be especially engaging for the audience. The movements of the performance, the lighting and sound design, everything has to be on point. And though this show wasn’t perfect, there were so many epic and wholesome moments that stuck with me long after it ended!
As Long as the Stars Last follows five aliens – portrayed by ZE, Wency Lam, Lulu Deng, Sean Croft (who also directed), and Ali Wilson-Goldsmith – as they discover Earth. All the actors beautifully convey the aliens’ childlike fascinations, their facial expressions and primitive vocalisations a nostalgic reminder of when we too were innocent beings learning about our world. Discovering Earth’s phenomena can certainly be overwhelming, but the actors’ sensual movements show the audience that it can be a gentle and nice experience as well! This play is very much needed – we can escape from all the world’s stresses and instead see just how breathtaking it is.
The play features object manipulation; a wonderful reflection of how we learn to use the many items we have in our world. I remember gasping out loud when the actors created a robot out of a mug and spoons, it looked amazing! These sections of the play take place at a table on a far corner of the stage. Though in theory, those scenes could have been fantastic and enthralling, it was a little frustrating how hard I had to squint just to see them! If only the table was close enough to the audience, it would have made those scenes so much more captivating.
In addition, there is a love story between two of the aliens (played by ZE and Wency Lam) that is difficult for the brain to properly clock at first. There didn’t seem to be much build-up to this relationship. But in my opinion, encountering a new world is an experience powerful enough to bring two souls together. So despite the initial confusion you can’t help but enjoy the innocent and loving dynamic between the two actors!
The lighting design and music was truly gorgeous. As Long as the Stars Last is very much a dance through our atmosphere, a journey that doesn’t require much speaking at all. The piano music further added to the sense of childlike imagination and joy. This is an entrancing, stellar (so to speak) show, filled with humour, charm, and beauty. Kudos to all involved!