The element of surprise is alive and well in Goner, a horror-infused choreographic piece that scintillates and fascinates with frightful dexterity
Marikiscrycrycry’s choreographic piece graces Battersea Arts Centre this May, joining a host of other gory shows that have made their way to this venue in recent months. An exciting cacophony of snapshots into this ill-fated character’s life, Marikiscrycrycry takes on a character that is unmistakably doomed. The piece begins with 20 minutes of non-stop dancing, repeated sequences that morph as they explore space and duration. Marikiscrycrycry draws the audience in, his back to us for what feels like an agonising amount of time, bringing identity, or lack thereof, and thus questions as to its relevance, into viewers’ mind from the onset. In an excellent nod to shock-horror and jump scares that horror fans will most certainly be aware of, the piece snaps to its next segment. This truly sets the production into motion; blood is splattered, props emerge, the gore and shock-value is ramped up, and the audience is left well and truly electrified.
While the production is best consumed without searching for narrative for it transcends conventional storytelling, a particular tale comes to light. It is both funny and horrifying, a cognitive dissonance excellently utilised throughout the production. Things were pretty dark before, but the story of the Goner signals it’s time to strap in, because it’s about to get a whole lot darker.
Inspired by the lost causes of the horror genre, Goner utilises social context to extrapolate how we create monsters out of marginalised groups. It considers alienation and marginalisation with a hard-hitting, conscientious perspective. Marikiscrycrycry drums up questions of who do we perceive to be a hopeless case, and why? Do we just blame fate, that people, most often those of marginalized groups, are bound to live out a life of horror, or do we fence people in, manufacturing these conditions, and then blame the individual for living out the seemingly only life they were left to choose?
Malik Nashad Sharpe’s (aka Marikiscrycrycry) choreography is a phenomenal amalgamation of style and gesture. Waacking and whining meet contemporary dance and a lot of booty shaking, carried out by Marikiscrycrycry with genuinely mind-boggling skill. A performer of note, Marikiscrycrycry is thrilling to watch. Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura’s musical direction and Luke Blair’s sound design create an auditory spectacle that is unwaveringly intricate and physical. The sound moves through you, the many surprises that await you shocking you seemingly from within.
Goner is an embodied experience, possibly unlike anything else you will ever see. Don’t miss it at Battersea Arts Centre this May – runs until 10th May before transferring to Canada.