Ed Watson is incredible in this beautiful exploration of grief in a homophobic society.
‘A Single Man’ combines ballet with live music, exploring the protagonist George’s reaction to the death of his lover. The walls of Chiara Stephenson’s stage are cluttered with models of books, tennis racquets, a toilet, and a set of stairs. In addition, to one side is the outline of a man, and on the other the outline of a human head, on a platform in which John Grant can be found. This all serves to conjure a feeling of artificiality. The centre of the stage, in contrast, is completely empty. While this focuses attention on the performers, the audience is often distanced from them by sheets of gauze. Jonathan Watkins’ choreography which examines George’s physical, exterior life; tennis matches become erotic, voyeuristic; motel sex is elegant.
Holly Waddington’s costumes are simple but evocative, especially the more naturalistic ones. The lighting, designed by Simisola Majekodunmi, is similarly effective, the best moment when the stage is blacked out but for a row of blinding lights pointed at the audience.
Ed Watson is just incredible, especially when George is overtaken by grief or fear of his sexuality being discovered. The tensest and strangest scenes in ‘A Single Man’ are often where the ballet is most effective; elsewhere the play loses its momentum.
Despite some clunky lyrics, John Grant’s writing is as powerful as his voice, full of strong and visceral imagery- his grandness is both a strength and a weakness. Grant’s involvement and the live performance of the music, depicting George’s thoughts and feelings, are the most obvious highlight of the piece.
Throughout ‘A Single Man,’ George attempts to make contact with Grant, reaching up to touch his platform and unite his emotional and physical lives.
Although it never completely breaks the fourth wall, the ballet makes clear, and interesting, comparisons between George’s performance of heterosexuality in public- his car, his gym, speaking to his friends- and Watson’s performance of George. In one early song, Grant blurs the lines between what is real and metaphorical, exploring which emotions are socially acceptable and which are repressed through the lens of both grief and sexuality. ‘A Single Man’ is a strong and incisive critique of homophobia, but also a ballet which is lovely to watch and listen to.