REVIEWS/

Review - VENUE MAGAZINE/WESTERN PRESS 2009
Elvis Still My Heart
Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh.
Witty, pretty and zippy. The Somerset-based trio of Louise Barrett, Katey Leader and Georgina Pavey bring wit, humour, narrative and huge enthusiasm to their bitter-sweet stories of three girls in 1970’s London. Told with dialogue, movement, mime, dance and high octane energy, this is one of best shows to emerge at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And it’s the way the intelligent and challenging stories are told that sets this production apart. There’s the Cornish girl who escapes to London to leave her sexually bruised past behind, the Welsh woman who she teams up with and their Elvis lookalike landlady with another narrative to unravel. Fusing the music of The King of Rock and and Roll with evocative sound effects of childhood, and the sound of old 45rpm record players, we gradually experience the lives of the females.

Artistic director Louise Barrett weaves a wealth of detail into what are extremely sensitive but also uplifting stories of self-discovery – rather like the story of Elvis himself in his transformation from shy schoolboy to teen idol. Barrett is deadpan and vulnerable, extremely nimble and subtle. Katey Leader gives a powerful and athletic performance as the Welsh hairdresser while Pavey appears to have an elastic body as she is bends and twists to her character’s story.
Pretty brilliant girl dance theatre is a more accurate discription.
Pretty Good Dance Theatre will be at The Pound Arts Centre, Corsham, on September 4-5, followed by a national tour that continues until December. H. Mottram. 9/10.

Review - THE LIST
"Louise Barrett is a fantastically talented physical performer. You can’t take your eyes off her. In spindly ‘spinster’ Agnes, subliminating repressed sexuality into an obsession with the King, his eroticised pelvic flicks translated into nervous, agonising ticks, she’s created an absolutely unforgettable character." (THE LIST 2009)

Review - SCOTSGAY, Edinburgh. Date: August 20th, 2009 Author: Martin Walker ****
Three young women – Louise Barrett, Katey Leader and Georgina Pavey – present an absolute gem of a modern dance show.
It’s circa 1970. Arianne (Leader) is a Welsh teenager running away from a broken home. Tasmin (Pavey) is escaping Cornwall and the sexual abuse of a man who thinks he’s Jesus. They find each other and move into the London home of the reclusive Agnes (Barrett). They soon turn Agnes’ world upside down.
Played out to an Elvis Presley soundtrack, you need neither be a fan of dance or Elvis to enjoy this show. Although it occasionally touches on dark and challenging aspects of growing up and fitting in, this is ultimately a feel-good play about love and acceptance which will have you leaving the theatre with a broad smile.
Dance is rarely this accessible and accomplished. A wee treat.
MW