Review: Motionhouse’s STARCHITECTS, Birmingham Hippodrome - Tour

Motionhouse are renowned for their daring dance/circus performances; you may have seen them recently perform as part of the Commonwealth Games 2022 celebrations in Birmingham’s Centenary Square. Their latest production does not detract from their previous work and is delighting children, in particular, as they experience theatre for the first time.

Starchitects is the story of five children and their dream of reaching the moon from their bedroom. Using their imagination, in a way only children can, they begin to build with cardboard boxes. A bird, a boat, a train and then a telescope, through which they can see the moon and the stars.

Well, if you can see the moon, you can travel there, right? So, they build a rocket and blast off on their adventure of a lifetime! Encountering moon fairies, a giant green alien, climbing through caves and crossing dangerous molten seas.

Conceived, directed and choreographed by Motionhouse Artistic Director Kevin Finnan, the piece is a delight - visually, audibly and theatrically! The use of a video screen (with digital imagery by Logela Multimedia and set design by Simon Dormon) as the backdrop, which is interacted with by the performers, creates an immersive experience for the audience.

One of our favourite moments has to be the appearance of the alien. It’s not apparent where the dancer ends and the costume begins (costume design and creation by Sophie Donaldson), as a giant green slinky investigates who these children are and what they are doing on their planet.

With five dancers performing each of the parts on a shared basis, the challenging lifts and circus feats do not disappoint and leave the audience in awe of their incredible movements and shapes and are applauded rapturously at every stage.

It’s a fun, impressive story telling for all the family, with even the smallest eyes being easily focused as the performance is only 60 minutes in total. It will undoubtedly hold their attention throughout and have them chatting about aliens and the moon all the way home!

An epic adventure with wonderful surprises, from the safety of the auditorium.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

Starchitects plays at Birmingham Hippodrome until 4 February (tonight) and continues to tour the UK until 14 June. For more information, please click here.