Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey fell in love 24 years ago when they were training for the circus. They swore they would never work together. “Circus couples are a pain in the arse,” Charlotte tells us on the mic at the start of the show, chatting like an old friend.
Inevitably they did end up working together, forming the company Ockham’s Razor, and making warm, insightful and gently joyful circus theatre shows full of humanity and connection. They stepped back from performing into directing after having a daughter. The pair were not quite ready to retire from the stage, however, and Collaborator is one last hurrah. It’s an ode to their performing lives together, from the hopeful anticipation of day one to the challenging days when nothing is in sync, demonstrated through simple but telling games, with props, ropes and some mesmerising pendulums that make waves of energy visible.
The theme of waves, and shared energy – and how one person’s energy might amplify or dampen another’s – is woven through the piece. There is a dreaminess about the mellow pace, a contentedness through the ups and downs (#couplegoals) and an effective soundtrack by Holly Khan that you almost don’t notice because it’s so fused with the action and feeling on stage.
The heart and soul of Collaborator is when Mooney and Harvey get on the trapeze. In this case it is a square frame that they hang from and slowly, lift, curl, fold, balance and pretzel themselves around each other. This is not Cirque du Soleil pyrotechnics but intimate, up-close, physical conversation. It embodies all the trust and care, the attention and deep listening to each other, the physical attunement, the strength they offer each other (and like any long-term relationship, there’s hard work too, that’s clear).
In one moment, Harvey is hanging underneath the bar, the ball of his foot pushing upwards against the metal, and Mooney is crouched on top of it, her toes mirroring his – its a tiny, probably unintended, detail, but a surprisingly tender moment of yin and yang. Earlier in their acrobatics, a toe comically almost goes up someone’s nose, so it’s not all so serene. This short piece is an engaging memento of what’s clearly a beautiful partnership.
• At the Place, London, until 31 January. Then touring
