★★★★
“Absurdist kung fu ASMR” is how performer Matt Pasquet describes Only Bones v1.9, a one-man dance performance charting the life course and a battle with shapeshifting surroundings. It is an apt description of this latest project from the Kallo Collective. This is an intense, perception-altering display of dance that unfurls in a relentless fashion.
From the moment Pasquet emerges from beneath a silver sheet, Only Bones v1.9 is remarkable for how it forces you to look at the human body in an entirely different way. Spotlights travel across Pasquet’s back as he twists and turns his joints. His fingers and hands (and their silhouettes) become tormenting characters in and of themselves. Further into the play, Pasquert appears almost possessed as he delivers a dizzying display of acrobatics and dance, made all the more impressive by operating within a very small space. Pasquet does this kind of thing for a living, but the sheer effort he is giving is unmistakable. By the end he is laced in sweat, having put his body on the line to encourage an altogether different idea of our physical selves.
Such is the state of hypnosis that Pasquet encourages, regardless of where in the audience you are sat, your own body can start to play tricks on you. You see colours that you know are not there. You hear sounds that may be part of Pasquet’s impressive foley repertoire or purely the product of your own imagination. Whenever you feel lost in this doubt however, Pasquet brings out the absurdist element of his show with more than a few comedic moments, which happily fail to take away from an ominously thrilling experience. You cannot help but admire Pasquet’s physicality, timing, and sense of humour as they all gel together in surprisingly consistent fashion.
An occasionally bewildering but always thrilling display, Pasqut’s strength and stamina are remarkable as he delivers a spellbinding performance. Only Bones v1.9 is the sort of unique, perplexing extravaganza that the Fringe was born to support. As such, this abstract story of birth, conception, and consciousness feels right at home.
Only Bones v1.9 is performed at ZOO Playground – Playground 1 until 10 August 2024 as part of Edinburgh Fringe 2024.
Words by James Hanton
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