Written by They Live Next Door is a dance theatre show performed by 2 professional older dancers who take us on an emotional rollercoaster with some highly physical movement. We watch the relationship between the two men unravel, and witness their ever-changing bond through heart-warming moments of love and tenderness, contrasted with bouts of conflict and manipulation.
I had a lot of fun playing with themes of masculinity in the music and there are a few ballroom styles thrown in that I could really have fun with. There is a ‘man waltz’ in the soundtrack which uses the arguably more masculine time signature of 4/4, and of course we watch both men fight to lead further fuelling their continuous power struggle.
At times the music supports the action. One key moment go this is the ‘balkan tango’ i wrote which supports an incredibly raw and physical scene which needs a really driving high energy piece to support the dancers.
At other times the music almost mocks the performers, causing them of childishness by underscoring a wrestling scene with a piano arrangement of incy wincy spider.
At one juncture, Minns appears to lose consciousness – to the sounds of heavy rain – and there is a sudden tenderness in Boldin’s concern, as he holds and manipulates the inert body.
https://dancetabs.com/2017/10/ieva-kuniskis-they-live-next-door-london/
This turbulent, touching and tender show combines intricate choreography with emotive theatre, to cast light on our fascinations and preconceptions of others. In a world where people are fixated with instant communication, social media and reality TV, They Live Next Door is a refreshingly unhurried voyeuristic view into a private life of two people, who may live next door to us.
Dougie Evans 