Wolf

To what extent are wolf and man interconnected? This is a question that few people are asking, but one that the Authentic Artist Collective are throwing themselves at, nevertheless.

This physical theatre production, set in the atmospheric depths of The Caves nightclub, attempts to illustrate the “ecology, psychology and mythology” of the relationship between humans and wolves, exploring ideas of pack mentality and our place in the world. With no barrier between the performers and punters, the audience spend much of the time being herded around by snarling actors whose wrestling and rutting create an anarchic, paganistic atmosphere that is both all-encompassing and unnerving; a unique device that, while uncomfortable, is the show's strength. That new characters emerge continuously from the body of the audience seems to leave one with nowhere to hide, with a feeling of constant exposure to the feral pack of wolves running wild around the performance space.

However, the flaw of this production is that when one's suspension of disbelief fails, as happened to this reviewer on more than one occasion, Wolf feels like little more than a extended youth-theatre workshop, a problem made worse when, toward the end of the play, an uneasy audience is forced to participate. Moreover, with minimal plot and what can favourably be described as a series over-enthusiastic performances, there isn't much of a frame upon which to hang an hour-long show. For this reason it's very difficult to form any sort of emotional attachment to Wolf.