Writer: Anna Holmes
Co-Directors: Anna Homes and Sam Ford
Composer: Wilfred Kimber
Dramaturg: Geoff Colman
A teenager’s dishevelled bed is wedged into the corner of a gloomy room, littered with the detritus of a monotonous life, as dim light flickers and rain falls steadily. Such is the setting for Sunny Side, a powerful and moving exploration through contemporary dance into the experience of male youth.
Initially it is hard to engage with the young man at the heart of the piece, referred to only as K. His life is played out as a revolving door of disjointed dreams, alarm clocks, feet thundering downstairs to go to work, then to return and repeat. The repeated actions, expressed with angular movement and physical strain, clearly flag the pain of this lost soul, struggling to find his place in the world and it’s almost excruciatingly claustrophobic.
Soul Roberts, as K, articulates his feelings powerfully and whilst there is a beautiful music, composed by Wilfred Kimber, and a poetic narrative played over the action, the clarity of the movement makes it a secondary explanation. The body language displayed between K and his friend Danny – Ed Mitchell – is compelling and relatable: two young men posturing and posing, readjusting after an absence – K having stayed at home whilst Danny went to university – before reverting to type, sparring joyfully on a Playstation. Here though, the closed-in nature of the relationship remains and continues until with a distinct reference to Wuthering Heights, in spite of the storm which rages – mostly from raised adult voices emanating from the rooms below – there comes a tap on the lighted window.
Out of this portal emerges B, a girl, played by Sophie Thomas dressed brightly and cheerfully and bringing love and joy into K’s life. The elation is palpable as the two of them explore the moors and streams finding ‘dappled spring through winter’s leaves’. These moments of hope and joy are clung to and grasped – escape from the walls of his mind as much as his room.
The three skilled performers in this piece explore a host of locations and relationships – those which shift through adolescence. It’s about finding your place, your people, understanding what is lovable and desirable. Clashes of cultures and experiences flag difference – a Christmas spent visiting Nan, to another’s spent skiing in France. Optimistic and positive expectations play against restrictions and helplessness.
Sunny Side, which was created and directed by Anna Holmes and Sam Ford, with the collaboration of the performers, is presented in partnership with #Andy’sManClub. This is a powerful, relatable and urgently told narrative, is at times almost unbearable, but ultimately is a timely and poignant reminder to check in on our boys.
Runs until 13th June 2025
