Curious Night at the Cantina

Whilst I have already experienced a wide range of London Visual/Viral culture, I have to say that CANTINA is different owing to its openness in expressing the hardships of a relationship. Allow me to document some of its more memorable provocations that excite some and horrify others. 

Cantina, from an entertainment standpoint, was visually stunning. The inside of the performance tent was warm, and dimly lit to set the mood of sensuality and closeness;   the stage was a circle and we were huddled around on all sides as if peering into a private world that was not meant to seen. As soon as the actors started preforming, they opened the doors to the private world of mental struggle in a long term relationship. 


The beginning tight rope scene shows how things start off when you meet someone new. They hold your hand, they dance with you, they keep you from falling down; everything is balanced. Your life together runs smoothly and everything is perfect, but time passes, and things don't always stay the same. Patience dwindles as you continue on, and we find ourselves looking upon a man being stepped on with stiletto heels. Even though it pains him, he still supports her. She is difficult, she wants to do things her way, and he lets her. Relationships require give and take. We don't always like what is happening to us but we love the other person so we let them have their way, out of fear that we could be hurt worse. But things don't always get better with time. We see this when the man and woman are violently dancing. He rips her clothes of, she stands her ground. They started off holding hands, now all they want to do is hurt each other. Their relationship has gone sour and all that's left to do is to leave the stage. The man is being punched time and time again, the relationship is over. It hurts but it eventually stops. The girl is dancing, but she is broken and has nobody there to help her. A man comes along, and helps her mend her broken pieces. He is the rebound, he helped her get on her feet. She takes the help, and the distraction, then leaves. We then arrive at the final stage of a relationship, walking on glass. Even though the pain is there, the actresses can stand on their own too feet. Moving on is the most painful part, but you just have to grit your teeth and bare it.


These performers interpreted the mental struggles of a relationship exquisitely.


There were parts of the show, however, that took away from the beautiful interpretation, one being the full frontal nudity scene.  This show was about mental struggles in a relationship. It was about being pushed down by one and picked up by another, not about penises. I was extremely offended by the scene and it tarnished my overall view of the performance. When I look back at the show I remember how unnecessary that scene was before I remember anything else. Being in a room full of men and women swooning over these performers made me realize how different my views are in relation to this city’s. While the scene damaged a beautiful story in my eyes, I am sure it enhanced the story to others.  Sexuality is something not to be afraid of in London, yet here I am, living in a city full of sex, afraid of sexuality.