THEATRE AT HOME REVIEW: Missing ★★★

Missing
Gecko Theatre Company
International Tour 2013 - 2019

The magic behind a Gecko production is that you're guaranteed that not everyone will come away with the same opinion as to what that certain production you have just witnessed is truly about. With Missing, we know that the performance centres Lily, where apparently her soul is decaying as she becomes successful in life but feels like she is straying far from her past, the roots that made her and grew her up from the ground. What was see on Stage however is an amalgamation of dance through multilingual languages that we absolutely would not understand every word of, but through the rhythm and emotion projected on stage are thrown into this world that I believe many will find familiar.

I’ve also admired Gecko for going out with a bold setting, whether that’s the industrial setting of Institute, or the Bridal / Abstract Office state of The Wedding. Missing continues this thread of giving it’s audience their own space to devise the surroundings of the characters presented; Rhys Jarman and Amit Lahav’s design captures moments of complete isolation and claustrophobia, something that I interpreted as Lily’s struggle to break away from the pressures surrounding her, through this ingenious lighting frames that moved along with the performers at certain moments, as well as the use of moving conveyor belts, two of these which allowed the performers to almost embody coworkers at a workplace, or constant thoughts moving around Lily’s mind as she is making love, rather awkwardly, is a home environment. This moment also brought stings of sound effects to depict  annoyance for the two lovers whenever they bumped or touched each other.

Briefly mentioned already, Chris Swain and Amit Lahav’s lighting design shines in bringing out the demons and emotions of those who are surrounding Lily’s environment; a perfect example of this was at the dinner table where Lily is enjoying the company of her friends, before sharp shots of lighting burst through either end of the table releasing jaunting poses from the two members of the company. This felt rather unsettling to watch during this moment, and Gecko really test you as an audience perfectly in deciding how we should be made to feel in these moments. It’s through the love of dance that we find out later on in the performance that Lily finds her passion in, with her missing memories rushes back to her at the climax of the piece with the help of one little girl who appears throughout the piece, puppetered by the company; though watching digitally through a screen, there is a warm feeling and smile across the face as we see Lily flourishing as a dancer after going through so much hurt and turmoil through the short snippets of her life that we have encountered within the past hour.

Overall, Missing is a story about memory, and trying to trigger those forgotten moments to spring back to life and achieve your full potential. Told through a multilingual package of language, rhythm, timing and pace, Gecko Theatre have once again entranced it’s audience into a world that pushes your perception, and leaves you with a unique viewing and feeling relating to the piece having just seen.

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