Switzerland: Movement and mime time

Marius Bear in action for his second rehearsal
Marius Bear in action for his second rehearsal

Marius Bear is alone on stage, picked out in silhouette and that’s pretty much how he stays throughout, with bursts of video and lighting to distract the eye – something the Swiss could make stronger use of.

It’s incredibly low-key and intimate, but when I think back to how Victoria staged a broadly similar song in Rotterdam, it’s far from effective. The exception being the overhead shot of a broken heart on the floor, that could have pulsed nicely throughout.

In the run-through I saw, Marius twitched like he might have pulled something throughout the second verse, and the miming an aeroplane crashing isn’t perhaps his best moment. All in all he drew attention from the song rather than blending in – but it’s a rehearsal and that’s going to likely be improved.

Vocally, he did indeed strain a little at times, but it’s not like today counts for anything. I will say though, the final close-up with a sweaty brow suggests that big leather coat isn’t working. Lose it.

Marius is a professional who knows what he’s doing, and yet I didn’t connect with him or find this to be a performance that lifted the song. I’m not really so sure this will go through based on what I saw today.

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