REVIEW: IMAGO @ THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

🎭 IMAGO

📍 The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR 

🗓 Tuesday 18th March 2025

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ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE

Emerging company PCK Dance pushes the boundaries of contemporary dance and in IMAGO they delve into the human experience of relationships in an abstract way which mesmerises its audience from start to finish.

The word IMAGO has two meanings. 1) The final and fully developed adult stage of an insect, and 2) An unconscious idealised mental image of someone which influences a person's behaviour. This piece cleverly and beautifully encapsulates both meanings.

Using the powerful imagery of flowers, this is far from a rose-tinted view of romance and love. There is a brutal honesty to the piece as it encapsulates the rollercoaster of sharing your life with another being.

I am normally someone who likes a strong central story to a dance piece, but the way that IMAGO leaves itself open to interpretation is actually really wondrous. It is also an extremely vulnerable thing to do, but somehow James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight - who both choreographed and performed the piece - have created magic here by leaving both themselves and their work exposed to the elements.

I was slightly thrown at first by the lack of expression in their faces. The intricities of their movements were spellbinding, but they were straight faced throughout meaning that everything was said with the power of the movement alone. Although at times I was left feeling slightly uneasy because of this, it is actually a testament to just how acomplished both Pett and Clausen-Knight are. To trust themselves with such a bold creative choice is to be applauded.

The synchronicity and timing of the two was positively breathtaking. At times the soundtrack was just sounds rather than music, but the way that the pair moved in perfect harmony had me mesmerised. There is evidently an absolute trust and unbreakable bond between them which was captivating to witness.

IMAGO is an intense wonder, and the black and white costumes against a black stage with white moveable plinths somehow emphasises that intensity, and proves when a performance is as captivating as this one is then there is no need for fancy sets or elaborate costumes. The use of flowers brings some colour to the piece and they somehow become an extension of the performers.

There is a definite feeling of purpose here. No movement is done just for the sake of it. Instead there is a clear intent to everything as they deliver visual ecstasy in what is simply a stunning piece of dance.

The music and sound effects here have also been chosen with precision. It is as if the soundtrack is to complement the on stage action rather than the performers dancing to a piece of music.

The level of desire and genius that has gone in to the creative journey here absolutely blows my mind. IMAGO is like nothing I have ever seen before and I walked out of the theatre not actually knowing how I felt about it! I had to really process what I had just seen unfold in front of me. This feels like the birth of something new and therefore I have nothing to compare it with in my mind.

It is incredible to see talent such as this breaking out and creating work with such depth and body. I'm already excited to see what's next from PKC Dance. IMAGO is a once in a lifetime experience which is not to be missed.

There is just one more performance of IMAGO at Theatre Royal Plymouth. There are limited tickets left. Click here to secure yours. You can also check out other dates and keep up to date with PKC Dance on their website which you can access here.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of IMAGO was gifted by the Theatre Royal Plymouth who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CHOREOGRAPHED AND PERFORMED BY:

James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight

RUNNING TIME (approx):

50 minutes, with no interval