Without Hope or Fear

The previous three showings of stages of Paul Johnson's work-in-progress, With out Hope or Fear, have been for invited audiences only, but last night's half-hour piece, incorporating some of the work previously seen, was performed publicly to an enthusiastic audience in the Project @ The Mint. Since this is sadly the end of Project's tenancy at this venue, it is fitting that it should conclude, as it began, with dance, and splendid that it should be good, innovative dance.

MaNDaNCE is an all-male company which already produced such work as Sweat and Beautiful Tomorrow, but artistic director Johnson has used his position as Project's choreographer-in-residence to pioneer this lengthy experimental approach to a new piece, begun in April 1998, in which he collaborated with the composer Eugene Murphy.

James Hosty, Jonathan Mitchell and Richard Knight excelled as the three men whom Johnson's script explains might be brother, husband, friend or lover, representing the attitudes and relationships of men in all their self-consciousness, intimacy and rivalry, now leading, now led, now supportive, now rejecting. From examining their navels to going forward hand-in-hand, they dance in unison, in different pairings and solo, Mahalia Jackson's singing of the Lord's Prayer providing the setting for Mitchell's solo.

Paul Keogan's lighting contributed greatly to the excerpt and I look forward to the full-length piece, to be premiered at Project's new performance space next spring.

Free performances conclude tomorrow evening. To book, phone: 1850 260027.