Review: Human – The Lowry, Salford

By Ken Powell

Extraordinary Bodies is a remarkable ‘professional, integrated performance circus company’ which works in collaboration with various groups and organisations including Cirque Bijou and Diverse City (who originally set up the company). Judging by their recent production, ‘Human’, which is touring at the moment, these collaborations work exceptionally well.

Set around little more than a trapeze and drum kit, the performers – both on stage and on screen – tell their true stories, and those of others, through dance, song and speech. Created during, and inspired by, the lockdown period, there is the feeling of democracy and honest fragility. The performers falter in their steps, their words – even which language to use at points – which would seem amateurish if it were not for the fact that every word they sing, speak or stumble over is both subtitled and translated into British Sign Language. The effect then is an intimacy with those on stage we rarely experience as an audience. It’s a truly emotional moment.

‘Human’ embraces all that we are as a species. It doesn’t shy away from the fact that we hurt each other, can be cruel, insensitive, selfish, violent; that we may often fail in our endeavours, feel isolated and unwelcome. All of this is accepted.

Yet, the performers exude hope – a fresh hope borne by the Pandemic but also from long experience (lifelong, for some). We see the physical disabilities on stage and screen: one performer on screen, wheelchair-bound, shows us a glimpse of life at home; and on stage is another performer…I hesitate to say ‘wheelchair-bound’ too, because he certainly isn’t. What he can do with ease on a trapeze, out of the chair, would put me in hospital in a second. But we also get glimpses into the unseen disabilities we all share. We are all broken, bound, struggling in some way, the performers seem to say, but we are also unique, loving, encouraging and – as a community – able to support one another and lift ourselves up.

If that sounds heavy, it isn’t. The subjects begin with ‘sweets’ (disappointed that my favourites, wine gums, never got a mention <grump>) and go on to such as ‘kissing’, ‘twins’ and ‘going outside for the first time since lockdown’. There’s never really a moment when this all isn’t just fun, great fun. This was further explored with the short video played soon after the production ended made by a variety of people spanning several communities via Zoom. Being unique was celebrated but so was being community. It was really rather touching.

Perhaps most impressive about the whole evening was the inclusive nature of the set up – something I’d like to see more often. The show was ‘relaxed’ meaning the audience were free to make noise or get up and move around as they needed. All audience members were given headphones to wear which made sure all the sound on stage came through clearly. A setting on the headphones gave an auditory commentary for those who are visually impaired and, as said earlier, everything was BSL signed. I say that though, when one performer ranted away in Italian for a moment, the look on the face of the interpreter, David Ellington, was hilarious. Once English recommenced, he gave a smile, a thumbs up and continued. Super comedy – not bad for someone on a large screen rather than in person.

This honest telling of fragile, (extra)ordinary stories of childhood, life and pandemic was a fitting start for this review site to come back into the foray with having closed up along with the theatres back in 2020 and only recently reassembling a team spread throughout the world to begin again, nervously, with this labour of love to tell anyone who will listen (or read) about the wonderful shows the north has to offer. Never has the performing world been more fragile and concerned, but also never have we been so connected and in community rather than in rivalry. That is truly something hopeful and ‘Human’ exudes this hope in abundance.