Step Into The Light

Thalia Theatre Company at the Playhouse, Norwich

Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 21 November 2007.

Step Into The Light

Thalia is a theatre company for disabled adults and young people with a range of impairments and difficulties.

They describe themselves as a registered charity and social enterprise. They should add talented performance and physical theatre ensemble to their banner.

Their latest work was a series of explorations of our senses. A stylised masked comedy opened the show devised from workshops by Garlic Theatre. The mask may define us or we can hide behind one.

The second item by the youth section was about light – a single pool can mesmerise, blind or illuminate. It was a thoughtful piece punctuated by oriental music which was intriguing and highly atmospheric. A dance medley was fun and excellently executed.

But it was the second half that took the breath away. An ambitious and totally original creation called Kaleidoscope of Colour, it took shapes, colours and deep meanings, moods and images distilled from members’ own sketches.

In eight contrasting and beautifully choreographed movements, a spellbinding illusion was brought to life by music from Yoghurt Collective.

They also launched a DVD to fund their dream of a home of their own. This show, their fourth at the Playhouse, showed that with willpower, dedication and belief, dreams can become reality.