While looking through my scrapbook on the Siobhan Davies Replay archive, I began watching some work. I studied Siobhan Davies in great detail during my AS/A Level so it was nice to re-visit some familiar works that I haven’t seen for a couple of years.
One piece that really interested me was Plants and Ghosts (2002). I had seen it once before but had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Wyoming (1988) was my set piece at sixth form and in terms of appearance, the two are extremely different. The set design for Wyoming is very vast and light whereas Plants and Ghosts is much more confined. There are clear boundaries and although there is a fair bit of lighting (provided as always, by Peter Mumford), it feels much darker and intense.
Plants and Ghosts was one of the first of Davies’ pieces not to be performed in a theatre setting. It is performed in a variety of locations including a warehouse, with the audience sat down both sides of the performance area and the lighting at the ends.
The movement is also very intriguing. Plants and Ghosts, opens with a dancer vigorously shaking from side to side. The whole piece feels very energetic and the movement can be detailed and intricate.
While reading about the piece on the Replay website, I read that it was about “the reciprocal play between the finite world of blood, bone and tissue, and the unbounded realm of mind, intention and imagination”. After reading that statement, I watched the piece again and saw it in a completely new light. The movement becomes more relevant and interesting. For example, the forearm lay flat on the floor and moved left to right. This movement feels like it now has meaning.
I would definitely like to watch more of Davies’ work and re-connect with it.
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