Matteo Fargion

Matteo Fargion The solo Piece
Francesca Fargion The Singing Agony Aunt 

Matteo Fargion’s The Solo Piece (2018) is another go at translating the score of Morton Feldman’s For John Cage, which Matteo and Jonathan Burrows borrowed to make their first duo performance Both Sitting Duet in 2002. This time it’s just Matteo on stage, waving his arms. And this more lonely counterpoint is now between his voice and the meaningless gestures that he makes. There is almost no new material in the piece, it’s all shamelessly stolen from those early duets made with Jonathan - an archive of embodied movement collected and remembered, consciously or not, over 20 years of performance work.

Francesca Fargion’s The Singing Agony Aunt is a disjointed, humorous and poignant half hour, giving insight into other people’s common, or not so common troubles, however big or small, petty or profound. The majority of the ‘problems' in the piece are sourced from genuine columns ranging from the 18th century to the present, and it is thought-provoking to observe their similarities and differences. Audience members are also invited to write down and bring forward their own 'problems' which are then interwoven into the piece. While the 'Agony Aunt' never gives any concrete advice, the audience may place their own imagined meaning upon each musical, nonsensical response.