Peregrinations physical theatre review: Haunting, wordless power
Through puppetry and mime, Peregrinations exposes the widespread trauma and suffering inflicted upon immigrants in a urgently relevant plea for change
New York’s Dutch Kills bring us a physical theatre show that’s stunning in its simplicity. Although non-verbal, the messages that it shouts silently are powerful. Billed on their website as a puppet show with music, ‘exploring displacement and the immigrant crisis in America’, this is a piece about humans, with themes easily applied to Europe. Bureaucratic horrors, our unwillingness to share resources, the perils of labour and forced migration: many grim details are interchangeable, particularly for those from the global south.
Simple white paper props are used symbolically. Origami birds reflect the cruelties of paperwork, while Tetris-style interlocking blocks and floating staircases convey relentless journeys towards safety. These winding travels inspire the title, Peregrinations. Gatekeepers wear ghoulish white masks; a dismissive flick of the hand or inappropriate caress of a back conveys the disdain and disrespect encountered by many seeking refuge. Harrowing scenes of children being removed and bodies sinking under water play out with astonishing elegance through mime, alongside more mundane scenes of factory jobs and tender moments playing peekaboo with a toddler. A video game sequence with bleeping original music is a welcome light touch, just as the cleaner scrubbing floors seeks comfort in her memories. Both poetic and painful to watch.
Peregrinations, Assembly Roxy, until 30 August, 11.25am.