4

	theSpaces on North Bridge (venue website) Theatre 5-6, 8-13, 15-20 Aug, 6:55pm-7:45pm Reviewed by Carmel Doohan
Recommended for age 12+ only.

The stage, laid out with copper bowls and drums like a meditation retreat, made me worry. The woman in multicoloured robes with a bongo between her legs didn't help either.  However, when the besuited  Korina Kontaxaki entered, she had a poise that put me at ease.

Cyprus-based Kontaxaki and the colourful Heleniq Argyrou form Theatro Trancendental. Their website is well worth a look, even if just to read their impressive back stories. Kontaxaki is a yoga expert, and it shows; her folding body was a joy to watch, as she tried to dance her way to freedom.

This is a very brave piece addressing a complex subject; it is not an easy watch, but who said reaching the room of unlimited possibilities would be easy? The performers work with skill and integrity, insisting that the search for enlightenment is a difficult, unending process. Through dance and music they give dramatic form to the most elusive of truths; and more often than not, it works.

A major part of the action is a dialogue between 'three selves' – higher, secret and outer – using teachings of Tao and Buddhism with knowledge and sensitivity. This spotlit conversation is remarkable; using nothing but her body, she creates an authentic enactment of a troubled psyche. While the potential for foolishness and pretension is high here, this piece remains true to its aims, offering the audience some real – possibly even transcendental – insights.