This is Exfeat's first visit to London and provides a promising introduction to the fantastical aerial dance of Tina Carter. The strikingly industrial-looking backdrop for both pieces is a metallic structure spiralling upwards from the floor, providing both fixing point for silks and trapeze, and contrast against Carter's more organic choreography and Abby Grewcock's evocatively coloured and styled costume designs. Looks Deceiving is a dark and fantastical journey into first meetings of initially opposite individuals. Both floor and aerial movement possess an arachnid-like quality, the performers’ limbs tentatively investigating the environment and each other, suggesting an insectile nest amidst a futuristic micro-landscape writ large. They fluidly scale and entwine the metallic set and silks, setting the spidery movements against arcs of flight redolent of butterflies and allowing their differences to be reconciled in mutual play and exploration of the three dimensions.
Does My Bum... is, in tone, worlds away. Against the same backdrop emerge three blonde prototype Charlie's Angels. Dressed in pink Lycra and modesty-saving feathers, this trio of girls lure us into the surreally kitsch world of a competitive search for beauty. They squabble for the best clothes, the best shoes and the best of the audience's attention amongst and upon a creative aerial platform of a giant clothes closet, including giant bra and knickers. Amongst this hard-nosed competition come some more delicate touches – sock puppets, fencing with boots, and a desperate character searching the audience for help. Does My Bum... is a crowd pleasing toybox world where escapist fantasy clashes with the competitive reality of modern living.