Review: Piano Forte, Barbican Foyer

REVIEW
Although I'm hazy about the detail, I'm told it's actually possible to arrive on time for things like theatre performances and concerts rather than engaging in last minute dashes from Tube stations followed by rushed encounters with venue staff, doors and finally seats.

If you are one of those people who make punctuality your focus, you might find yourself having to participate in some fairly dull waiting from time to time.

And the majority of venues do little to tackle the boredom faced by their audiences.

On a recent trip to the Barbican however, I was pleasantly surprised to find an alternative to queueing at the bar.

Piano Forte proved to be a pianist, Jen Carter and a contortionist, Sara Lundstedt.

Soft, sultry jazz wafted out, blending delicately with the noise of the foyer.

Lundstedt then sauntered on and started to perform. A combination of dance, acrobatics, burlesque and gymnastics, her act stunned the audience.

With the music matching her movements perfectly, she bent her body into the most unlikely shapes, slipping onto the piano, doing the splits, handstands and stealing a huge feather from the hair of her partner in crime.

The act was subtle, sadly short and performed with simple style and grace.

And then, following a storm of applause they were gone.

Audience refreshed job done.

I appreciate most West End theatres lack the space and the equipment for this sort of thing, but it would be great to see more of it.