Soft Spot ⭐⭐⭐
“Everyone has held a wine glass. Everyone has broken one. From childhood curiosity to adult caution, we share a relationship with this fragile everyday object. On stage, two artists carefully manipulate, stack and balance a delicate landscape, risking collapse at any moment. The glass becomes partner, obstacle and quiet threat – demanding precision and trust between performers. Each action carries tension; each near-collapse asks what might happen next. Unexpected outcomes reveal a playful, precise exploration of our fragile world.”
Few props come with as much built-in tension as a wine glass. We all know what happens when one hits the floor. Soft Spot takes that very ordinary object and turns it into the centre of an impressively delicate piece of physical theatre, in which every movement comes with the possibility of disaster. And when the performers are balancing, stacking and manipulating the glasses, it really does have you holding your breath.
Direction is strong and clearly understands what the piece wants to be. I particularly liked the attention given to the relationship between the performers and the glasses, with the tiniest movement becoming something worth watching. There were, however, moments where the pacing started to work against the production. The brushing of the broken glass across the floor is visually interesting and gives the lighting something else to catch, but it continued for slightly too long. Similarly, some of the individual tricks felt longer than they needed to be. The concept relies on anticipation, but anticipation only works if we aren’t given quite so much time to anticipate.
Lighting is lovely: striking but subtle. There are moments where the lighting state changes so gradually that you barely notice it happening, but suddenly your attention has been drawn directly towards the action. I particularly loved how pared back the colour palette is. There is no need for a rainbow of colours when the real visual focus is the glass itself. The simplicity keeps the performers and their objects at the centre of the image. The side lighting is especially effective, adding shape and dimension to the performance and allowing the glasses to catch the light exquisitely. It makes the whole thing genuinely gorgeous to watch.
Sound is another strong element. There are some lovely tracks and soundscapes throughout, but the highlight moment for me was the sound of glass cracking. It was so convincing. For a moment, I really believed one of the glasses had broken. That is exactly what good sound design should do. It doesn’t simply accompany the action; it manipulates our expectations and makes us question what we are actually hearing. The mix is well judged and balanced, never dominating the performers, and complements the physicality of the production beautifully. The music choices work well alongside the soundscape, helping to establish the atmosphere without distracting from the central action. There is a nice selection of tracks, and the musical choices understand that this is a show built around anticipation, tension and release.
The performances are where Soft Spot really demonstrates its skill. These are incredibly talented performers. Honestly, some of what they achieved with wine glasses was not possible. The accuracy required is remarkable. Every movement has to be controlled, every placement considered, and every exchange between the performers carefully timed. When a stunt is building towards its climax, you genuinely find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see whether the glass will stay upright. There is also something fascinating about watching two performers trust each other so completely. One wrong movement could change everything, and that sense of risk is what gives the strongest sequences their tension.
My main reservation is that I wanted more variety. There are moments when a sequence feels as though it has reached its natural endpoint, only to continue a little longer. I would have happily lost some of that repetition in exchange for a couple of additional tricks or ideas. The performers have clearly demonstrated that they can do extraordinary things with these objects, and I found myself wanting to see what else they could do. And that is ultimately my feeling about Soft Spot. I wanted more.
Soft Spot plays at the main house at ZOO Southside until the 30th August at 8:30 pm, with a duration of approximately 60 minutes.
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