Plymouth Theatre Review

Title: ‘The Net’ by Gocha Dance

Venue: The House, Main Stage

Date: 2nd June 2024

Overall Rating: 5

Attending ‘The Net’ by Gocha Dance was an intriguing and emotive experience that was both intimate and participatory from start to finish. This performance was unlike any other at ‘Mayfest’ being not merely a performance but a sensory journey with the audience at the the heart of the piece, actively participating in the action. This piece was a display of pure artistry that incorporated the spectator into the action through the use of the senses and evoked a wide range of emotions and reactions, unique to each audience member. 

The performance was staged within a circular arena, with the audience placed on seats forming a circle. This created an intimate and immersive experience and allowed the spectator an unobstructed view of the action, which took place in the centre. Entrances and exits were made through the audience, walking past the chairs and with performers moving seamlessly though the gaps blurring the lines between performer and spectator. This was further blurred with the performers speaking directly to us and even placing things under our chairs, heightening the sense of intimacy and connection. The circular staging allowed for a dynamic performance that invited engagement and connection to the piece and fostered a communal atmosphere that drew the viewer into the heart of the piece to create a shared and collective experience. 

The disciplined and fluid performance utilised movement and speech to place the audience at the forefront of the action. The senses were central to the experience, with part of the piece that creatively combined movement, sound, touch and even taste. At times, the performance even played on the 6th sense of presence – knowing someone is near without being able to see them. This deprivation of the senses, particularly not being able to see what is going on within the dark space but being able to feel what is happening around us through touch and the breeze, added a deeply immersive layer to the performance. I particularly enjoyed the darkness and mysterious atmosphere created in the early parts the piece, I felt such a wide range of emotions while sitting there in the dark, I could hear and feel the performers presence but not see them which was somewhat anxiety inducing and empowering all at once.

‘The Net’ is kinetic and interactive, culminating in an invitation onto the stage, inviting the spectator to become a creator and craft a web made of wool. This hands on participatory experience was particularly interesting as you had to step over lines of the net already created by other people and are left to navigate the space yourself. The taste element to the piece invited the spectator to try some pre-prepared food food from a tray, further engaging the senses and allowing the show to be experienced in a way that is unusual and rare in performance. 

In another captivating section, the performers played with tiny lights that were rolled out to the audience and around the space creating mesmerising illumination in a performance space that had been fairly dark to begin with. Although small, the lights were a potent touch that added a magical feel and transformed the environment into a dynamic space. As the lights moved, they cast intricate shadows and patterns of light, transforming the space into a dynamic canvas of light verses dark and transitioning the space into an ever changing tableau – a true living canvas! The audience were entranced and eventually encouraged to hold and play with their own ball of light, placing this close to our hearts and then setting it free by rolling it across the stage ourselves. This enthralled the audience into the piece, with both the lights and performers gaining our rapt attention! The artists moved among the lights with fluid grace, their movements synchronised with the rolling orbs and interacting with them as they moved, adding a layer of ethereal beauty to the performance.

Overall, ‘The Net’ was an unforgettable experience, a show that skilfully intertwined sensory deprivation and stimulation, leaving the spectator with a profound sense of connection and contemplation. The performance was kinetic and interactive, inviting the audience to live through a fast paced series of emotions and empowering them to connect to the piece on their own terms. This hands-on participation made the experience a perfect blend of disorientating and intriguing and allowed for agency over their own emotions and feelings throughout. This culminated in the audience coming together to create a web, representing the connections and interdependencies that bind us all. Gocha Dance has truly created a masterful sensory experience that is as thought provoking as it is sensorially engaging and artistic. The careful choreography and movement intertwined with the deeply sensory exploration left the audience with a profound sense of connection to each other (and the performance itself) in a deeply personal and universally resonate display of pure artistry. ‘The Net’ is a testament to the power of art to transcend the ordinary and touch the very essence of our humanity and emotions.