Telling stories, making a difference: Acts of Recovery

Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome
September 14, 2018

David Mead

A collaboration between Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Geese Theatre Company’s community ensemble Staging Recovery, and Birmingham Royal Ballet, Acts of Recovery is inspired by the real-life and very personal stories of recovery from addiction.

Society often sees the issues people in recovery carry with them in their day to day lives and the effect they have on those people and those around them. Whether the complexities are fully understood may be another matter, however. Acts of Recovery certainly gives a deeper insight in what is an inspiring, moving and often thought-provoking evening that lays bare the vulnerability of people. Not many evenings in the theatre leave such a deep impression. I found myself lost totally in the real lives being laid bare on stage as their stories unfolded; and in the excellent dance and dance theatre.

The performers for the evening are all in recovery in some way. That dance should help in their journey should not be a surprise; its therapeutic and restorative benefits, and the power it has to transform lives have long been recognised. Where Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, led by former Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer Paul Bayes Kitcher, and Geese Theatre succeed further is in making their stories into quality art without losing any of their impact or message. Acts of Recovery is a unique evening, the likes of which I haven’t experienced for a very long time, if ever.

Geese Theatre Company are this year celebrating their 30th birthday. Having begun as a creative outlet for those recovering from substance misuse, the Staging Recovery community ensemble now also embraces a much greater range of vulnerable or marginalised people, including those who have experienced mental health issues, trauma and criminal justice.

Using dance, mime and text, Staging Recovery’s The Ripple Effect tells the story of a family. There is tension at home. Father, we learn, has a gambling addiction and, it seems, is a less than amenable landlord to his tenants. It’s the ripple effect of the title, one aspect of his life impacting another and so on. It comes to a head when his wife eventually has enough and, at her wits end, leaves with their son. A little story told at the end reflects neatly on finding contentment. Masks are used initially, an effective way of demonstrating the ‘mask’ that is worn as a coping strategy. As they are removed, the real feelings that inform the characters’ attitudes come forth. Joining the Staging Recovery performers, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Laura Purkiss and Rory Mackay perform a duet that seems to dance out what is happening in the father’s head.

Led by former Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer Paul Bayes Kitcher, Chester-based Fallen Angels Dance Theatre supports those in recovery and shares their journey through creativity and performance. The company has both recovery and non-recovery dance artists.

The War Within, directed by Bayes Kitcher and very appropriately described as a juxtaposition between “Life on highs to high on life,” opens with a beautifully shot and extremely well-edited film. With direction and cinematography by Luke Jacobs, it stands incredibly well on its own. Indeed, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if it picked up awards at dance for the camera festivals.

One of the messages was that addicts have an ability to forget the pain, instead choosing to remember the exhilaration of the first time. That transfers to other areas of life including relationships. They become immune to chaos and pain of all sorts, which becomes normal.

Moving to live action, the trio of Joanna Kirkby, Nicolette Whitley and Joshua Hutchby bombarded the audience with a torrent of raw emotions, feelings and thoughts in highly expressive choreography. In a dance of mutual support, trust, understanding and caring, Whitley holds Hutchby as he frequently reaches out as if seeking help or support. At other moments he seems to be buffeted by unseen forces, his body reflecting the chaos of his life, arms circling and flailing as if trying to catch something. Rope wrapped around Kirby’s  body is an effective metaphor for the web from which there is no easy escape that people can find themselves in.

If you need any proof that dance can play a major role in recovery, release traps and open doors, look no further. Acts of Recovery was an evening in which the message is, in many ways, more important than the dance, but let’s not let that disguise the fact that it was an hour or so in which the super and versatile cast gave us some excellent dance theatre too.

Visit www.fallenangelsdancetheatre.co.uk to read more about the excellent work of Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, including a fascinating blog about the creation of this evening with contributions from the performers.

For more about the work of Geese Theatre Company, visit http://www.geese.co.uk.