Blindscape

A pretty visionary blend of circus, technology and sound design, Skye Gellmann's Blindscape is an exciting proposition that doesn't quite manage to deliver on the promise of its original idea. It begins with each audience member being handed an iPod Touch and a set of headphones and led into a darkened space. After a brief orientation, we're introduced to the unusual world of the performance. In short: audiences are asked to navigate a three-dimensional sound field via their iPod Touch. As we find sounds, we're rewarded with light. We can then shine that light around the space to discover what's lurking in the darkness. Namely, circus performers Skye Gellmann and Kieran Law. It's an unbelievably cool concept and, even for the most skeptical, will provide an undeniable thrill of novelty. When a naked Gellman acrobatically scales a waiting pole in the centre of the space lit only by illuminated iPod Touches, it's hard not to gasp at the breathtaking, alien beauty of the image. Unfortunately, such moments are punctuated by long periods of tedium. In spite of the suggestions of the premise, Blindscape's audiences aren't really free to navigate very far either within the realms of their soundscape or the venue and the strictures grow boring. It's hard not to be excited by the potential of the concept, though.

La Boite Indie (finished)