Voice-Box

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Voice-Box
Harbourfront Fresh Gound/urbanvessel
Written by Anna Chatterton
Choreographed by Julia Aplin
Sound design and music by Juliet Palmer
Created with and performed by Neema Bickersteth, Christine Duncan, Savoy Howe, Vilma Vitols with Chatterton, Aplin and Palmer
Brigantine Room, Nov. 10 to 14, 2010

The feminist collective urbanvessel has a zany imagination. Their approach to any topic contains the unusual, the unpredictable and the provocative.

Their latest show with the clever title Voice-Box focuses on the fine distinction between violence and aggression through the metaphor of women’s boxing.

Urbanvessel’s claim to fame is how they blur the lines between opera, dance and theatre. No two boxing matches look the same, whether it is pummelling a pumpkin into fleshy pulp, or a pas de trois tango featuring two boxers and the referee.

This show has two points of view – either that women are by nature more cruel and conniving than men, or, boxing should be encouraged among women as an outlet for aggression.

The greatness of urbanvessel is their ability to convey mixed messages. No two people are going to experience this show the same way, but everyone is going to argue about its meaning after the fact.

Voice-Box continues at Harbourfront’s Brigantine Room until Nov. 14.