Review: ASSEMBLY HALL, Sadler's Wells

Assembly Hall takes place in, as you might have guessed, an assembly hall, where a group of medieval reenactors are coming together for what may be the final meeting of the General Assembly of the Benevolent and Protective Order, a group that puts on the annual “Quest Fest” event. However, everything is not as it seems, and the world of knights and ladies begins to mix with the world of basketball and minute meetings.

As a reenactor myself, as soon as I saw the description for Assembly Hall, I knew I had to see it. It is rare to see the lives of reenactors on stage, let alone through the medium of dance!

Kidd Pivot, the dance company led by choreographer and director Crystal Pite, is known for its “radical hybrids of dance and theatre.” Pite’s choreography is joined by Jonathon Young’s writing, which is used for dialogue that has been pre-recorded and is mimed to by the dancers. The style of Kidd Pivot is unique and has given them a reputation for powerful pieces, so I was interested in seeing how they would turn a simple assembly hall into a world of castles. 

From the very first scene, the audience is shown that something is wrong. A woman (Renée Sigouin) walks into the assembly hall and is greeted by a motionless body (Gregory Lau) on the floor, whose movements she begins to manipulate, trying to make him move as if he is still alive. Soon, others begin to join her, but they ignore the body, doing their own tasks to ensure everything is ready for the meeting. The assembly is brought to order by Shaun (performed by Doug Letheren and voiced by Jonathon Young himself), who must guide the group to their final bit of “unfinished business” - dissolving the General Assembly of the Benevolent and Protective Order.

Some, like Gail (performed by Livona Ellis and voiced by Marci T. House) and Mae (performed by Ella Rothschild and voiced by Amanda Sum), are trying to save the assembly, while others like Bonnie (performed by Rena Narumi and voiced by Meg Roe) and Boyd (performed by Rakeem Hardy and voiced by Alessandro Juliani) have accepted the end of the group. 

Assembly Hall is a story of loss, as each of the characters struggles with the possibility that they may never meet again, and Glenda dealing with the loss of Dave, who appears dead in the first scene but is then brought back to life as a newer member of the assembly, a confused man who doesn’t know what his place is within the General Assembly. It is through Dave that we see the transformation of the assembly hall into the medieval world, with most of the highlights coming when the dancers jump between the medieval stage and the assembly hall itself, literally bringing the two worlds together. A particularly stunning part of the performance is one in which Glenda is faced with multiple of Dave, creating a stop-motion like scene that left me in awe. 

The dancers and voice actors are only enhanced by their surroundings, particularly the gorgeous set designed by Jay Gower Taylor, who takes a rundown assembly hall and transforms it into a battlefield with only a small stage hidden behind a red curtain. The costumes, designed by Nancy Bryant, do a great job showing the contrast of the modern and the medieval, with some, like Glenda, switching between a modern outfit and a poofy white dress and others, like Dave, remaining trapped in a state between the two time periods, unable to find their place in the world. Lighting by Tom Visser does a solid job of bringing the audience’s attention to different performers, though at times it did feel a bit slower than the music and performers themselves.

One of the most surprising aspects of the show is its humour. Dave is a likeable protagonist, with Ryan Beil doing a fantastic job bringing a voice to Lau’s movements. I particularly enjoyed Brandon Alley’s physicality as Woody accompanied by some hilarious lines voiced by Vincent Tong. Even in moments of heartbreak, like when Glenda is in mourning, characters are making witty comments or making funny movements to keep the mood shifting. 

Assembly Hall is a brilliant dance production that cleverly blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Pite and Young have truly captured the essence of reenacting, including the feeling of being in two worlds and the heartbreak of saying goodbye after an emotional event. Whether you’re a seasoned reenactor or have never seen a suit of armour, you will find yourself pulled into the world of characters both mundane and magical. 

Assembly Hall runs until 23 March at Sadler’s Wells.

Photo Credit: Sasha Onyshchenko

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