Watching Hotel Pro Forma and the Knife's Darwin inspired performance was an intriguing experience. It was my first (and maybe last) electro opera, with a geological and biological touch. A strange, dream like combination woven together with slow, mezmerising movement. In the beginning, I expected an average modern exprimental theatre piece, that would soon bore me out of my wits. Then, as a red clad lady stepped onto the the front of the stage, singing a legato opera piece about some kind of natural mineral erosion, I changed my mind. And later, when the entire back of the stage moves sideways, and beams of green lazer shot over my head in a sea of smoke and dry ice, it was clear that this performance is in no way old or boring, however there were periods that dragged out to the point that it was mildly sleep inducing.
The audience was comprised of an older, cult crowd, probably Hotel Pre Forma fans, and a younger, hip electro group, The Knife's followers. That is also partly, in my opinion, why the dreamy production was such a hit! Two very accomplished groups working together.
As a whole, it was an interesting and unforgettable experience. A storyline with many layers to be discovered and thought about, with Karin Dreijers remarkable soundtrack and the choppy, experimental choreography, unlike any other dance performance I've ever seen. Topped off with melancholic opera and occasionally a smooth, sweet pop voice, it was truly unique.
