ballad lines @ the southwark playhouse elephant + q&a w/ choreographer tinovimbanashe sibanda
And so what if it wasn’t part of the plan for you to find your next favourite upcoming musical? Ballad Lines is in town after a decade of workshopping, which makes a brand new London musical feel like it has been touching audiences’ hearts for generations.
This entry includes an exclusive Q&A discussion with choreographer Tinovimbanashe Sibanda.
Creative Team:
Music & Lyrics: Finn Anderson
Book: Finn Anderson & Tania Azevedo
Director: Tania Azevedo
MD: Shonagh Murray
Choreographer: Tinovimbanashe Sibanda
Cast:
Frances McNamee - Sarah
Rebecca Trehearn - Betty
Sydney Sainte - Alix
Kirsty Findlay - Cait
Yna Tresvalles - Jean
Ally Kennard - Jamie, Thomas, Ronan
Sian Louise Dowdalls - Shona, Ancestor
Gracie Lai - Morna, Ancestor
With a score that is both rooted in traditional folk music and determined to tell a modern story through multiple lenses, the united front lies in the heartfelt power of music altogether. By blending Scottish, Irish and Appalachian ballads, Ballad Lines creates a unique sound that feels multidimensional, with its percussion and breath-led movement language by Tinovimbanashe Sibanda.
Q: How is it to develop a brand new story for stage and discover the movement language?
A: The show has been developing for a long time, with an initial musical commission with RCS and AMTP in 2017. Therefore, the level of thought and attention to detail was very clear. I always enjoy the lack of comparison and freedom that comes with that. In our early conversations, our fantastic director referred to Florence and the Machine as a good example of how we wanted our ancestral world to feel witchy and grounded. A movement language that also supports strong vocals, without limiting movement range; it is social and ritualistic. Additionally, percussion is basically an extension of the score, rooted in the music. It was a completely individual layer that was taught prior to the choreography, but we worked to change the patterns here and there so they could live in the choreography.
Q: The show explores such a vast range of heritage and backgrounds. What was the research process like?
A: The set captures Sarah’s NYC apartment. Honouring ritual to watch the depth of where her heritage and family history take her. We wanted all the movement routed in intention and found that naming each section was massively helpful. For example, ‘The message section’ is all about ancestral wisdom, while ‘The pushing’ encourages Sarah to go deeper. The process started with clear rules but as we kept going, a lot of it took a language of its own, and just like the themes of the show, different moves were linked, connected and cohesive to different plot points.
Q: What is it like choreographing for actor-singers & using gestural movement within songs rather than isolated dance breaks?
A: I personally feel like the most moving dancers are the ones that are connected to their bodies and the ones that move to tell or to feel! For me, choreographing for anyone who is committed to telling the story and using their whole body to its full potential is probably my favourite place to be as a choreographer. Whether it’s a big dance break or gestural movement. It was such a flowy yet detail-oriented process, and just like text work, it could be felt and also grown into as the cast went through their run. I love that what we have found sits in the bodies that are doing it!
Q: Who is this show for? What’s the most important message this show has to offer?
A: Choice. It ultimately comes down to you. No single choice is right or wrong; it just shows up in different ways. In certain ways, your ancestors lacked choice, but you get to choose. You get to choose what you want to inherit and what you want to leave behind. I genuinely think everyone can relate to that in some way or another. And with the power of music, it’s a healing thing.
Q: Is there anything new that you learned about yourself as a human being and/or creative through these women and their stories?
A: That my capacity for going deeper and for questioning is bigger than I was taught or told it is. Sometimes, by going toward the scary things, I’ll end up in the most truthful thing for me.
VIEWS & THOUGHTS
A welcoming and abstract set, entering us into the world of the show and allowing us to jump between different countries, cultures and generations. The band is visible and wonderfully added to the image of the show’s setting, though I do think that in a bigger scale, the addition of actor-musicians would be an asset to the show’s formula.
In a simply beautiful story of womanhood, Ballad Lines woos the audience with the unknown unison of women from the same bloodline, with mutual ballads to get them through the hardships of their times. The power of stillness and underscore is apparent from the very beginning of the show, allowing the audience to be drawn in.
We follow the arc of Sarah’s character, a queer woman in NYC who, after a complicated relationship with her deceased aunt, decides to open up a box of tapes she left her, only to find out they contain the tales of women who came before her. Throughout this narrative, we see Sarah move in with her partner, Alix. Although their relationship is perceived to be within the lesbian stereotype of the honeymoon phase, their body language feels quite distant in their physicality towards each other, making us wish for a little bit more time to get to know them as a couple before we delve into Sarah’s history, and things start to take a different turn.
Jumping onto different plot lines, Cait and Jean, two pregnant women, share a completely different interpretation of ‘Unexpected Visitor’; an absolutely genius and breathtaking use of generational views in marriage, abortion and childbirth within and outside of wedlock. A shoutout for Kirsty Findlay, for an astounding performance of genuine heart and truth and a personal highlight of the evening. ‘Unwelcome vs Unexpected’ allows us to see the emotional depth of a pregnancy; in both cases, the woman is rightfully viewed as the focus. Aunt Betty, as the narrator, demonstrates a great tool for storytelling with an educational nature towards the audience; She teaches us that music multiplies, that words can shift and get twisted in translation. The duality of the narration between Betty and Sarah has its own sense of ‘passing down the torch’ and adds a great touch of inheritance. Sarah may actually be more similar to her Aunt than she may have thought…
On a more constructive note, purely because I found it so fascinating, Sarah and Alix’s storyline feels slightly underdeveloped. The ultimatum of kids or no kids and a very brief highlight of lesbian sex and intimacy are elements that could add so much more to Sarah’s need for continuing the bloodline and angst towards her aunt’s views, as well as Alix’s hesitation towards that very step. I love how Alix is not shown as a villain for not agreeing with Sarah’s future expectations, because not having children does not have to be justified; a luxury that perhaps Cait and Jean wouldn’t have had. However, the reality of a queer woman's fertility and raising a child as a single mother are just a few of many more questions and layers that feel deserving of further exploration. On the other hand, it is incredibly powerful to see Sarah go after what she wants and is important to her, without settling for an unfulfilling future with Alix. Overall, it feels like Alix’s character has a lot more weight; even though she is not part of the bloodline discussed in the show’s core, she does not have to feel seperate of it all.
Moving on to Morna’s character, witchcraft is presented in the show in a very intriguing and unexpected way. The history of Western medicine versus spiritual practices, with women who practice it being stigmatised. The show gives such a rich insight into that world, and in a way, gives back to years of miseducation. It is truly special to have a story that touches on so many different points that feel misunderstood or underrepresented in both womanhood and sisterhood.
Ally Kennard presents us with his brilliant ability to emotionally switch from an abusive, religious husband to a caring, selfless doctor and A-star sibling. That adaptation of masculinity in different forms, narratives, accents and cultural stances is quite impressive with such grace from the actor. Jean and Shona’s storyline is one of play and open-hearted energy; they both radiate passion and drive, creating a young yet mature take on life. Their story feels like the perfect link between what came before them in Cait and what followed them in Sarah, who seems to share ideals of both entities.
Without spoiling anything, the greatest thing about this show is its ending. A non-traditional happy or tragic ending, allowing the audience to connect the dots, to feel the energy of each story and generation that lived before Sarah, as she enters her next chapter. It allows for heartbreak and hope at the same time, very similar to the way a song about something very dark can sound so beautiful.
It is important to note that rather than a strict review, these are all mere opinions and suggestions for a show that shook me to its core in the best way possible. A brilliant storyline, a ground-breaking score, a uniquely distinct cast and potential that exceeds every expectation for new, bold, innovative musical theatre. Its intimacy in venue (Southwark Playhouse Elephant) felt perfect for the story’s well-rooted themes. This is a show that can be watched multiple times, offering multiple experiences and perspectives.
I sincerely hope this is only the beggining for this fierce story with women in the centre, in the stages of London and beyond. May the ballads of Ballad lines last generations of theatre-goers to come.
