HHHH
Parkour moves, on and over a battered Volvo, ballroom dancers in the moonlight – this will be one vivid memory from my experience of Ignition. A creative collaboration between the National Theatre of Scotland and Shetland Arts, it uses story, reminiscence, film, original music, sound, song, dance, folklore, tradition and even cups of tea to take a close look at our relationship with the car, so necessary to island life. It's ambitious and "So many stories, so little time" did sometimes come to mind.
Director Wils Wilson from NTS and associate director John Haswell from Shetland Arts, with their professional team, have involved hundreds of people, from schoolchildren to senior citizens, in making this thought-provoking and sociable community production.
There are different textures to the audience experience. There's a speeded-up film that dirls you along the road from Unst to Sumburgh, which you can enjoy in a country hall. Part of the time it's really theatre on the road, as you travel between car parks, sharing transport, as a driver or passenger, with a white-clad hitchhiker/actor who tells you a story. At one stop, you step inside a car or camper van for a performance, squeezed in beside an actor. Then it's on the move again with another tale. At a quayside, you're happy the night's stayed dry for the dancers in the open air. Then it's back to the hall to warm up with tea, an excellent band and a sing-along.
We talked about it as we drove home. My companions informed me it had been much better than expected, while I just want to see it again after missing out on the singing hitchhiker with the ukulele.
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