Review: KIN, National Theatre - Gecko
Photo credit: Mark Sepple
After over two decades of internationally acclaimed productions and tours around the UK and the world, Gecko finally find their way to the stage of the Lyttelton Theatre for their National Theatre debut. And what a debut indeed.
Spearheaded by artistic director Amit Lahav, Gecko have created a deeply moving and captivating show about the immigrant experience, inspired by migration stories of Gecko’s ensemble members and by the current political climate. True to their style, Gecko’s Ķīn leans heavily on movement, music, lighting, soundscape and stage design, and less on spoken language. The characters only speak when it is absolutely necessary. Instead, emotion and thought are mostly conveyed through effortlessly executed movement sequences and non-verbal communication.
Multilingualism and diversity within the company have always been some of Gecko’s hallmarks and have largely contributed to their work resonating with so many people from all over the world. With Ķīn, Gecko have managed to fully foster the beauty of their ensemble’s diversity, as in almost every conversation involving two or more people, everyone speaks a different language. This rich tapestry of languages and cultures far from confuses or detracts from the story, instead immersing the audience fully in the theme of immigration and culture clash, and proves that linguistic comprehension is not a necessary ingredient for emotional connection.
Dave Price’s original score, heavily influenced by Eastern European sounds which are uniquely able to capture the feeling of nostalgia and lamentation, breathes life into the piece. The same is true for the absolutely ingenious lighting design by Chris Swain who, in a fair world, will find himself among the Olivier Award nominees for this production.
Rhys Jarman’s simple yet fully functional and characterful set and costume design completes the puzzle.
Ķīn is a must-see for anyone who is, as Amit Lahav beautifully puts it, “a product of migration stories”, but even more so for anyone who isn’t. The UK, and especially London, is a melting pot of civilisations, cultures and languages and that is its strength, not its weakness. Multilingualism and multiculturalism are still massively underrepresented within the arts. But change is slow, and the road is long and maybe the fact that we’re seeing this kind of work on the National Theatre’s stage means that the world is changing after all.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Erifyli Gigante
Kin plays at the National Theatre until 27 January, with further information here.