Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

The late night crowd at the Pacific Blue Festival Club is treated to the lush visuals of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, 1927’s multimedia vaudeville cabaret now playing at the New Zealand International Arts Festival. Performed by a trio of impeccably styled Brits, the world of Between the Devil blends the iconography of silent film with the macabre storytelling of Edward Gorey. It is a live event that incorporates projected animation, live music and brilliantly saucy performances for an evening of wicked fun.

Reminiscent of German expressionists, the precisely timed actors merge with Paul Barritt’s (Animator, Designer and Projectionist) media, often giving the sensation that they have popped right out of the screen from a fantastical world of ghastly images. 1927 takes on suburban housewives, ill-fated pussycats, and ghoulish twin girls, playing each vignette with the reverence of a pretentious art flick before allowing us a wink of reprieve in a coy visual gag or wry joke.
Suzanne Andrade (Writer, Director and Performer) and Esme Appleton (Performer and Costume Designer) beautifully command the stage with their smoky story-telling voices and skilled pantomimes. As the aforementioned twins, they are a spooky duo that reminds us of what goes bump in the night, and give a whole new meaning to the perils of audience participation as one lad discovered after being recruited to play poor ‘Grandmama’.

Incorporating projections into a piece can sometimes result in a fraught time-trial for the actors, yet the interplay between mediums in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue is seamless. With help from prim pianist Lillian Henley, the girls of 1927 weave intricate and witty tales to titillate and terrify.
Unfortunately, the Pacific Blue Club gives the impression that one is at a sporting event with dauntingly large-scale stadium seating spoiling the chance for intimacy. While I did see patrons carrying their glasses to their seats, they were unlikely to actually relax with their drinks while squeezed into a tight fitting hard backed chair. Perhaps next year this after-hours venue will be more appropriately ambient.

The New Zealand International Arts Festival showcases a feast of music, theatre, dance, literature and visual arts as artists from around the globe gather in Wellington from 26 February – 21 March, 2010.

1927’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Pacific Blue Festival Club (Shed 6), New Zealand International Arts Festival
6 – 14 March, 2010

Tickets available by calling 0800 TICKETEK (0800 842 538) or online