Edinburgh Festival Insider - Dance / Physical Award 2009

Perhaps my favourite category of the Fringe programme, the dance / physical section always contains shows which challenge, delight and impress with feats of skill, fluid movements and some of the most original works to grace Edinburgh's stage during August.

The nominations for the Edinburgh Festival Insider Dance / Physical Award 2009 are:

• The Chair by C-12 Dance Theatre. A striking and well-choreographed piece from a young UK company that show significant promise.
• C!rca. A beautifully staged and skillful set full of acrobatic movements made to look effortless by a talented group.
• Zeitgeist by Zen Zen Zo. An astonishing, challenging, brave and uncompromising piece which pushed its unique artistic vision straight into your face.
• The Kosh in The Storeroom. An accomplished one-woman performance that contained sequences of beautifully-realised movement and dance.
• Tales of the Apocalypse by Airealism. Wonderful rope, silk and trapeze skills from a group that presented an at-times surreal yet always captivating performance.
  

And the winner is...

Zeitgeist by Zen Zen Zo

A performance which you could not tear your eyes away from, Zeitgeist contained moments of beauty, startling originality, black humour and excellent choreography, courtesy of the acclaimed and uncompromising Zen Zen Zo physical theatre and dance group from Australia. Like some vision from Dante's Inferno, the dancers cavorted, squealed and ultimately dazzled with a show that fast became one of the tickets to secure at the Fringe.

For that, they more than deserve the:

Review: The Kosh in The Storeroom ****

The Storeroom is the latest production from groundbreaking physical dance company The Kosh, and features the phenomenal Siân Williams in a one-woman show telling the noirish tale of Zoe the showgirl as she reminisces over the glittering highs and seedy lows of her career.

Williams puts in an amazing turn, single-handedly moving the scenery - comprised of packing crates and ladders set in the storeroom of a theatre - whilst dancing, singing, performing ventriloquism and carrying out some quick costume changes. Of those, a particular standout is her split male / female costume, where she portrays both Zoe and Artie, her predatory playboy suitor in a routine which she carries off brilliantly.

As she opens each box of memories, Williams reveals more and more about her dark past, leading up to a finale which is well-executed and perfectly fitting to the stylised mood of the overall piece.

Perhaps what impresses most, as you watch Williams perform a beautiful and graceful routine whilst suspended from a ladder, is the fact this striking and talented performer has been in the industry for 27 years, and possesses looks and movements that would put some half her age to shame.

The Kosh in The Storeroom runs until August 31st at Gilded Balloon. £9.50 (£8.50 concession)