Leotard | Boyle & Waters
This image + cover image: Stephen Henry
Such a delightful, light-hearted comedy extravaganza, born out of a love for giddy glitzy costuming. Bridget Boyle and Neridah Waters delight the audience with tales of triumph and ignominy in Leotard, a comedic physical theatre show that takes nothing too seriously. Along the way they mock the cliches of overly enthusiastic theatre coaches, dance mums who never ever ever let it go, the yawn-worthy sketch jokes of yesteryear that we (read: over 35) were all subjected to as children on the telly, and the deeply inappropriate overly-personal sales pitch of evangelical telemarketing for relationships.
Gorgeous leotards adorn the walls of the set. Leotards with hand-sewn sequins, with tinsel wrapped into tutus, with spangles and silk and cheap organza and above all else, lycra. Leotards with contrasting spandex panels. Leotards which costs hundreds, and leotards that are worth pennies. Leotards you wished you had owned, then, and now. (My friends afterwards are already getting itchy fingers to go hunting for more leotards of their own on ebay…)
The physical comedy is gold. Neridah does the best deadpan 21-year-old-face-being-embarressed-by-her-overly-licentious-mother I have ever seen. Waters moves in and out of fabulously awkward characters like she is trying on.. well.. leotards. Wise cracks and ludicrous filler jokes make sure there is never a dull moment. Split second costume changes are masked by the disturbing sounds of the ultimate dirty guessing game.
Image: Stephen Henry
There is a wholesome touch to the show too, with short video interviews projected onto a giant dressing room mirror, where anecdotes of childhood and are shared. Women talk about finding their confidence to stride onto stage in a one-piece bodysuit, or divulge their disorienting experiences of body dysphoria. Knowing as I do that many of these interviewees are joyful participants of Water’s massively popular Common People Dance Project, there is a poignancy to these confessionals, knowing that for many of them, they have come full circle in their joy of dance.
Image: Stephen Henry
Dance, gymnastics and calisthenics still have a reputation of fearsome experiences for girls and young women – the contradiction of the joy of being strong and flexible and capable, and the searing indoctrination into body obsessions that affects all but the most resilient. In spite of this, the love of dance (and lycra) is strong in many of us, and it comforts me to know that many groups are trying to subvert these old stereotypes and make dance once again joyful, diverse, happy, and yes, colourfully skintight.
The lasting impression? A leotard is not just a useful item that gives you ease of movement whilst attempting new and challenging movements, but a magickal adornment that can transform the most awkward of us into a shining Star.
