Mente recently had our fifth outing to Fuerza Bruta and we still cannot wait to see the show again. Performed in the Centro Cultural Recoleta, Fuerza Bruta is a post-modern, multi-sensory, theatrical show, created in Buenos Aires by Director Diqui James. This show has completed multiple rounds of successful world tours since 2005.
Its creators attempt to develop an incomprehensible plot, yet align separate scenes. This extravaganza lacks dialogue, allowing the show to remain abstract. Fuerza Bruta relies on a strong element of surprise. “It is fundamental that nothing is predictable. We’re not going to tell you (what happens). Surprise isn’t an effect, it a constant state that is necessary for the performance to be successful.” said Director Diqui James. The shows’ creators truly succeeded in this, with abruptly distinct sounds and engergies in each scene, which shift unexpectedly– each more exciting than the next.
In one scene, there are semi-naked women, resembling fairies, and the audience feels as though they are in a kaleidoscope looking up into the water. There are violent scenes in the show, as well as captivating chants and music, with upbeat percussion, enhancing audience excitement. The music is aggressive and intense, while full of light and happiness, as well. The Fuerza Bruta website deems this aspect of the show, “brutally happy.”
The composer, Gaby Kerpel, says he gained inspiration from “folklore and primitive music,” with electronic beats, in addition. During the play, the audience often feels as though they are in a rave. Just outside the auditorium, Centro Cultural Recoleta has built a bar, where the Fuerza Bruta audience is invited to buy drinks and chat. After socializing, the audience is allowed to bring the drinks into the auditorium, making the room feel more like a boliche, than a theater. The audience and actors communicate during the show and even dance together. This aspect of Fuerza Bruta changes with every performance and is determined by the energy of the crowd.
James has successfully created a show where the audience can play a part in the action—an important element to the spirit of Fuerza Bruta. The show’s producers claim that the energy of the audience is determined on cultural components of the show’s location. Members of the show have commented on the starck difference between audiences, for example the Brazilian crowd dances, moves and cheers throughout the entire show, while British viewers are more prone to bopping their heads and clapping along. The Buenos Aires audience loves to dance and sing, but may be less rowdy than Brazilians.
A new Fuerza Bruta show has been recently developed, called WAYRA, said by the creators to “flood your senses with heart-thrashing fun, pulse-pumping live music and breathtaking aerial acrobatics” at the show Time Out New York calls “A BONA FIDE THRILL RIDE!” Mente audience members were in awe and have given nothing but rave reviews. Keep doing what you’re doing, Fuerza Bruta—we dig it!