Nicholas Bone and Marisa Zanotti’s We Will Hear The Angels has had a couple of bouts of running at the open-plan warehouse space in Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery, giving space for pondering, contemplation, reflection and beauty.
The performances by all five performers needs room for that, as they cast their life disappointments into the space, with the accompaniment of instruments and music to heal in the process.
We Will Hear The Angels takes its title from Chekhov’s play Uncle Vanya and is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rear Window, as James Stewart connects stories to the neighbours he spies out of his window.
The bare bones of this production considers the universal connection around themes of loss, loneliness and music, and it holds true to those bare bones. The space accommodates microphones, and lecterns for the performance leans heavily on music as well as monologues and a graceful physical movement, explore how melancholic music has this weird capacity to affirm us.
Co-directed by Nicholas Bone and film-maker Marisa Zanotti, it’s a subtle production that allows space for rumination and mental exploration as the cast meanders the room in the space so kindly given. It has a great list of music performed including tracks by Hank Williams and Etta James.
What affected me most, personally, was Greg Sinclair’s rendition of Orange Juice’s ‘Rip It Up’. Stripped back to an acoustic playing, it gave the audience the opportunity to actually consider the lyrics, without the jaunty, jovial riff that underscores – I do profess, that there are things in life that one can’t quite express – and that makes focus in on that the entire song is about regret. It’s is a perfect example of how music can help heal, juxtaposing that riff with those words.
Marie-Gabrielle Koumenda does a great job of playing the enigmatic and elusive Lou, who inhales these tales of heartbreak but the venue itself feels a great part of the performance with all the quirky noises that it elicits and space it offers to ponder on the considered piece that explores art’s aid in in dealing with grief.
