Book a babysitter and brush up on your table manners because Expressions Dance Company’s The Dinner Party is coming to Maryborough in May.
The Dinner Party debuted in 2015 at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane as The Host and is now embarking on a national tour with a new cast, new character developments and under the eye of the company’s new Artistic Director, Amy Hollingsworth.
The stage is set for an elegant soiree; The Host an influential and wealthy young man who manipulates every guest seated at his table, The Hostess his wife who wields the real power in their relationship.
As the evening wears on, the story gains momentum and darkens as the guests’ insatiable need for control, status and power intensifies.
“The Dinner Party centres around desire for power, its impact on relationships, and how the motivator of status can corrupt completely,” Ms Hollingsworth said.
“What has always struck me about this work is its subtlety, and that even the smallest of interactions at the dinner table can disrupt the dynamic, shifting both the balance and perception of power so suddenly and completely.
“I find the medium of dance is profound when weaving these subtle threads, capturing the most nuanced and weighty moments of body language.”
The Dinner Party is choreographed by EDC’s former artistic director Natalie Weir who has reworked the piece and reshaped the roles.
Ms Hollingsworth was the production’s rehearsal director in 2015 and said many of the relationships between the characters take on a more layered meaning now in 2019.
“With current awareness of the conversations concerning gender and equality, various character dynamics seem more exposed and some of the relationships take on a different tone when seen through the current lens,” she said.
The production premiered to glowing reviews in 2015 with audiences and critics alike and was nominated for a 2016 Australian Dance Award. Featuring costumes by acclaimed Australian fashion designer Gail Sorronda and music recorded by Queensland’s Southern Cross Soloists.
Don’t miss The Dinner Party when it hits The Brolga Theatre, 30 May 7.30pm.
