Freeze Frame

Commissioned for Brisbane Festival by Artistic Director Noel Staunton, Debbie Allen’s Freeze Frame has been five years in the making.

Written, directed and choreographed by the Emmy Award winner, who shot to prominence with Fame and more recently through a guest judging stint on So You Think You Can Dance (USA), Freeze Frame’s greatest achievement is providing a vehicle for its talented stars, all members of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

Truly an ensemble piece where the audience – let alone the performers – hardly have a chance to catch their breath between scenes, the production takes full advantage of its beautiful set design to incorporate dance, music, film and theatre.

Many threads of the story are unfortunately all-too familiar – a rebellious son challenging the expectations of a strict father, a young girl caught between her dreams and caring for an addicted mother, a teacher trying to reach out to kids who feel they don’t matter – but it is performed with so much vigour and enthusiasm you almost don’t mind the clichés.

As it aims to depict the lives of teens living in some of the more troubled neighbourhoods in America, it is also filled with heavy themes: teen pregnancy, drug abuse, gang violence, police harassment all featured; but in Allen’s hands it is not a depressing tale.

The young cast are all supremely talented and this is obviously a labour of love for Allen who also performs a few roles herself, including an impressive turn as a Latina grandmother affected by gang violence.

Through their sheer physicality and aggressive energy – the dances featuring the teen male performers tended to stand out – but perhaps unsurprisingly it was the dancing on the whole, rather than the singing or the storytelling that were the strongest facet of the work.

It also has a slightly retro feel to it, with hyper-coloured costumes worn by some members of the cast and funk-tinges infusing many of the songs – but perhaps that can be expected when Stevie Wonder’s name appears in the song-writing credits.

The dance involving a high school basketball game was a clever piece of choreography that melted into the most effective of the many monologues interspersed throughout the performance.

‘Am I in a Gang?’ was the story of Slick (Dion Watson) – and within it contained the crux of the whole performance – dealing with the expectations and perceptions of others and having to do your best with the hand you are dealt.

Another standout scene involved Bishop Washington (Clinton Derricks-Carroll) addressing his congregation – with the theatre transformed into a Southern Baptist Church service.

Although some may have preferred a grittier portrayal of life on the streets, Freeze Frame instead offers the audience the chance to enjoy themselves, exploring contemporary culture while also feeling like a homage to the musicals of old.