TANGLEDFEET AND THEIR "ONE MILLION" PERFORMANCE by Benson Agoha

Dates: 28 & 29th of June, 2013. Time: 10pm. Venue: The Royal Arsenal open performance ground, in front of the Heritage Centre.

The One Million, a theatre production, commissioned by the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival for summer 2013 [ GDIF2013 ], features 100 young and fit performers. While Anthony Anazagorou provides poetic analysis and insight, the pair of Guy Connelly, of the Clock Opera and Nick Gill, of the The Monroe Transfer, provided complimentary live music. The title `One Million' was aptly chosen to illustrate the alarming rate of increasing youth unemployment, expected to hit one million by June 2013.

The play starts with a modest desperate search for direction and opportunities. There was early desperation noticeable in the climb and the girls certainly made the most of their impatience and anxiety, taking the lead in `identifying, analysing and discarding off' unwanted elements. Then, there is a quick change of direction. Repeat it four times and their patience and interest fizzle out.

But their exit is quickly replaced by a new crop of better skilled, more ambitious entrants into the market. This emergent group, with their varied hi-tech instruments, are more talented and focused in their search for `golden opportunities'. And boy, did they produce some upside-down skill displays?

This triggers a new zeal and desperation to submit CVs. Three skips soon fill up and the applicants, with their ambition stoked up, remain momentarily quiet and hopeful. They soon get the unavoidable news:

"...thank you for your interest in our company...we have kept your cv in our file..should there be any...we shall get back in touch."

Skip loads of excess CV's soon get destroyed and, with that `went' some of the applicants. "May their soul rest in peace".

Then, was the appearance of the spinning golden globe, and its fireworks, so the struggle soon continues, and quickly transformed into an `identified golden opportunity'. The golden globe had the `pearl', an enchanting beauty, elegantly displayed. She danced happily in her exalted, but albeit lonely world, and stepped up the spin.

It used to be said that he who would obtain a `pearl' must dive below - not this time. But this rare pearl is too tempting to ignore. However, with no clear close connectivity, it remained unrealistically too high. Still the aspirants, with their skills and ambition, were determined to go the distance. Fierce competition ensued. But there is no thoroughfare to the golden globe. Exhausted and downcast, the competing candidates soon accept their individual realities. They peel off of their masks and learn to settle and have fun.

If politicians once worried about the greasy pole, the applicants worried about extensive and dangling ladders, hoisted on elastic ropes. The higher they climbed, the lower they tended.

In time, you realise that many of them had already accepted their fate and settled into different positions, according to their abilities and circumstance. The music sums up the mood as they all danced away in their now various uneven positions.

Did the applicants compete fairly? Well, you need to see this production to attempt an answer. And I hope you did.

The dazzling fireworks finale was awesome and if you are still wondering where those crackers came from, you sure missed out.

The producers did an excellent job of pulling talents together from as much as 11 or more organisations.

After the show, I try out one of the smaller ladders and then went in search of the director for an interview.

"Was the emergence of only men at the top of the most visible high level positions deliberately built into the play?" I asked him.

He pondered my question and, shaking his head a little, he said "I doubt it." Then went on.. "No, that must have had something to do with each person’s ability during the climb. Some of the performers are acrobats, so they tend to climb higher faster." Then thoughtfully added.."But that is an interesting question."

Well then, there you go, gender equality campaigners!

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Tangledfeet: Royal Arsenal, Woolwich - 28 & 29th June, 2013. 10pm.

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Report by Benson Agoha.

Twitter: @bensonagoha.

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For Woolwich Arsenal Online.

Twitter: @woolwichonline.