Xhloe and Natasha are a pair of New York based performing artists who have become famous for using physical theatre to tell ridiculous stories. They’re also the current ‘big thing’ when it comes to theatre; every show they bring to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe sells out, and they have something of a cult following from around the world. They use acrobatic tricks, props and rapid-fire narrative to tell their tales, and it’s mesmerising to watch.
For example, the main characters spend a lot of time repairing a truck and this is represented by them lifting and holding each other in such a way that it implies they’re working underneath the engine. This style of theatre is becoming more and more popular, and Xhloe and Natasha are seen as the pioneers in the field.
Their latest show, Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It, is about two teenagers living in a set-upon Appalachian town who fake a Bigfoot sighting in order to get out of trouble. The local sheriff, who is looking for something to hold onto in order to keep going, takes tight hold of the story and Bigfoot suddenly becomes the talk of the town. Alas, the community isn’t a particularly stable or wise one, and things go south pretty quickly.
What elevates this show beyond the usual is the acrobatic storytelling. Sure, we have an ever-present stop sign with the bloody remains of Bigfoot hanging off it, and back-lit onto the performance space are captions that underline the ongoing plot, but these are broadly just spice to incredible physical storytelling. The pair are incredibly in-tune with each other, and part of the appeal is just how effortless they make it look.
Moodily lit, with incredible soundscapes, the show does suffer somewhat from its success; Fringe venues aren’t exactly ideal, but we do feel something was lost in an attempt to put this show on at a space that wasn’t optimal for this sort of performance.
If dance or clowning is not your thing, this show isn’t going to change your mind on that; it’s pretty much the pinnacle of what that art can do in terms of theatrical storytelling. For everyone else though, try and catch this show. It’s the sort of thing that isn’t going to last forever and really needs to be experienced live, rather than recorded. Fortunately the pair are touring everywhere, so go see if you can.
