Fuerza Bruta: Smoke and Mirrors

The herald of social media brought about a different type of plot spoiling with regards to the theatre world. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have meant it is near on impossible to avoid seeing what is going behind auditorium doors. Despite this, as spectacles go, here in Buenos Aires, is one that will leave an unforgettable memory even if you think you are in the know. Conceived and directed by Diqui James, Fuerza Bruta (literally meaning ‘brute force’) has travelled all over the world from New York to Sao Paulo, from Berlin to Taiwan.

It is difficult to describe something whose fundamental purpose is to cause genuine delirium amongst its audience. Somewhere between a theatre show and a frenzied carnival, Fuerza Bruta succeeds in combining a dreamlike essence with a bombardment of stunning visual images, throbbing music, and wind and smoke machines.
Without giving too much away, if you don’t want to get pelted with water, hit over the head with Styrofoam blocks or elevated into the air with one of the show’s acrobats, this probably isn’t the place for you.

The magic of the show however is its success in combining this frenzied immersive form of theatre with parts that feel like a revival of childhood memories; great walls of silver foil lend themselves to the show’s acrobats who dance across it like mystical fairies, whilst in another scene scantily clad woman glide like mermaids across the audiences’ heads.

Combined with a pulsating Latino soundtrack from the show’s drummers, the production is fuelled by an intense energy that makes you get up and dance even before the ‘in-house DJ’ appears above the audience complete with megaphone and thumping dance music.

Your neck might feel stiff at times (a spectacle like this cannot have a sedentary audience) but at 80 minutes long, Fuerza Bruta leaves you totally dumfounded and wishing for more. Expect to be blown away, and not just because of the smoke machines.