Circle of Fifths
After the loss of his uncle to COVID-19, director Gavin Porter embarks on a journey around #Wales to collect people’s stories, centring on the nation’s oldest community: Butetown. His mission? To explore how lives are commemorated in death & the significance of traditions & rituals. Presented by the National Theatre Wales, “The Circle of Fifths” creates a space to celebrate music & stories as powerful tools for healing grief & loss…💖
⚰️The intriguing: An immersive show that centres on a funeral procession. Mittens at the ready, we start outside in the frigid cold as the cast welcomes everyone & makes small-talk with attendees. Then the funeral begins. The audience follows a colourfully patterned coffin from outside, to the Brixton House Theatre, to the lobby & continues onto the mainstage. After such a bold opening, the coffin eventually feels forgotten beside the stage until it is time to lower it. This framing feels under-utilised and not so neatly threaded into the songs & stories that follow…
🧩The Unspecific: The show interweaves documentary-style videos, contemporary dance, and reggae & jazz music to complement a narrative driven by deeply personal anecdotes. However, the transitions between these elements feel a bit rough, and, despite the variety, the overall cohesion falls short. There is a holistic wholesomeness in being invited to a funeral for everybody's mum/dad/uncle/gran or whoever we wish to honour the memory of in the universality of the stories & music. However, it does mean that the anecdote-heavy storytelling never quite reaches a coherent narrative whole…
🎶The joyous: That said, the multimedia approach & lively cast make up for an enjoyable evening in which the fourth wall is simply non-existent. We become part of the community by dancing, laughing & even eating with the cast. Most of all, we hear stories that are so close to home that we feel like we are home…
In the end, “Circle of Fifths” is a love letter to close-knit communities, where everyone feels like family. It's an inspiring production, with great music that keeps the audience tapping their feet while reaching for the next Welsh cake. 🌟3/5