VENUS 2.0 @ ZOO Southside

VENUS 2.0 is a politically charged play, created and performed by Bristol-based dance company IMPERMANENCE. The performance itself is based on the life of Mary Richardson; the narrative follows her through her days as a suffragette, being incarcerated in Holloway Women’s Prison, and then picking up of the mantle of fascism.

This is a complex piece of theatre which keeps you on your toes. It embraces a dark premise with just the right amount of whimsy and holds a mirror up to our collective history reminding us of how easily the past is repeated. The choreography is synchronised yet silly, gently suggestive but also strangely haunting. 

Six excellent dancers don multiple outfits, switching between characters and roles enacting a range of motions, from falling in love with Hitler to Desert Island Discs, all with heavy political undertones. True to its cabaret style, the performance consists of a sequence of unconnected acts; at times contemporary dance, others a shadow show, and occasionally more traditional theatre. Although the switching is seamless, the sheer number of switches can distract from the overall narrative; it is an ambitious goal to convey such a complicated life in the cabaret form.

Despite this, VENUS 2.0 manages to elucidate the bizarre tale of Richardson's life. One highlight is the embodiment of fascism as a camp Italian man. Dressed in a gaudy suit, he repeatedly surfaces at unexpected moments, conveying the insidious nature of ideology and how it transcends time, space and gender. Furthermore, radio clips provide a unique soundtrack in a clever and interesting way of incorporating the historical narrative with physical theatre. The show's satirical tone provides well needed comic relief for the heavy topic of authoritarian regimes and fascist ideologies. In essence, VENUS 2.0 was everything that it said on the tin, if not a bit more.

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VENUS 2.0, ZOO Southside, run ended