Toronto Fringe Review: The Reservation

Dance does not necessarily have to be understood in order to be appreciated and enjoyed. That said, however, The Reservation is a dance show which presents the audience with a theme (restaurant life) and some semblance of a plot (three women, two of them accompanied, arrive at a restaurant where misadventures ensue), but all of this falls rather flat and fails to reveal or communicate anything significant to the audience. While the dancing is engaging, the six dancers are unconvincing when they emote their way through poor versions of jealousy, annoyance and hunger. At one point, six chairs are introduced, all without seats. When one dancer enters balancing a chair on his head and two hands, it appears as if these specialized props will be used in an acrobatic or eye-opening way, but instead they just lead to the performers mugging for the audience when their rear ends go unsupported. Much like these chairs, the characterizations, plotting and beautiful costumes all hold promise that goes unfulfilled, taking away from what could have been a much stronger, simpler show.

The Reservation online: http://www.artistsplay.com/
To buy tickets online: https://www.fringetix.ca/scripts/max/2000/maxweb.exe