Gathering on a warm summer evening in the courtyard of St Alfege Church in Greenwich, we set off into the St Alfege Park where performers with ghostly white painted faces with tuxedo dance and linger around the graves. The fading light, smoke effects and haunting singing, together with a background choir away from sight all adds to the atmosphere of the haunting prelude. Then we set off on a procession along the back streets of Greenwich and across Deprford Creek, led by a band of percussion and somewhat improvised set of plastic brass instruments which brings a sombre carnival like ambience to the proceedings.
Based on the idea of Haitian culture with the dead and voodoo, this piece is created by French company Rara Woulib. The procession attracts a few local residents along the procession and also large number of locals leaning out of their windows and balcony, brining in a great sense of community. There is thoughtful use of local architecture in terms of acoustic such as railway bridges and arches, hidden singers on open walkways on apartment buildings. And the beautifully fire lit passage across Deptford Creek, along with performers standing motionless on simple boats as if they are in Styx.
It is a reflective journey through the back streets of Greenwich that is rarely explored by outsiders. And together with a well thought out production that makes great use of the surroundings and a sizeable number of performers makes this one of the best production of LIFT 2014.
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