Gecko make me feel very nostalgic. This might be a personal thing; a younger me saw their first show 'Taylor's Dummies' when bright eyed and idealistic, so seeing them gets me reminiscing, but I hazard a guess that I am not alone. There is something about Gecko's shows that always stirs the memories. 'Missing' is a sepia tinted show.
It looks and feels like faded photographs; seeking out the dimly lit figures within the cavernous Pleasance Grand felt like scanning the vague images in your own head; are they real or based on photo you've seen since? Lily is lost in this lowlight; in denial, unable to shake off her sinking feeling and desperate to find release from her rebellious soul. Something is missing, but she doesn't know what. Gecko are a company with a big heart; red blooded and full of life, they throw it from the stage and breath it into each moment and movement and the audience can't help but feel, just like Lily, jolted and emotional. Like the central character of Lily, heartbreakingly played by Georgina Roberts, the audience find itself with the finger pointed at us. In the spotlight, resisting the impulse to shake our heads like Lily, in our English way and say, 'No, no, not me, I'm absolutely fine, Thank you.' There are too many beautiful images to mention, but my favourites were the fast forwards and repeats performed with incredible skill by the cast, sparks flying in Lily's fury to rewind and forward the story into the memory that she desires. Also the early images of Lily and her new husband, jolts of electricity sparking as they awkwardly ignore the early signs of their faltering marriage. Every one of the international cast is brimming with energy and skill, the lighting and sound were beautiful. In fact, in terms of world class theatre, there was nothing missing at all.
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