Sound artists Pandora Colin, Tom Espiner, Tatenda Matsvai and Ruth Sullivan [Camilla Greenwell]

COW | DEER
Royal Court, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
4 stars

Nothing quite prepares you for this aural deep dive into the world of a pregnant cow and a deer.

Co-created by Katie Mitchell, Nina Segal and Melanie Wilson in collaboration with the National Theatre of Greece, Cow | Deer is presented as “an experiment” – a listening, theatrical encounter that immerses us in the lives of two animals.

Foley, the art of synchronised sound effects, is taken to a new level. Without words, a quartet of performers and sound artists, Pandora Colin, Tom Espiner, Tatenda Matsvai and Ruth Sullivan, recreate the animals’ environment, allowing a narrative to unfold in our imagination.

It’s a summer day in England. We hear the gentle rustling of woodland creatures and birds overhead; a cow grazes, a young roe deer explores a field. In the distance, human activity intrudes – the thrum of an engine, a dog barking, a tractor reversing. We viscerally feel the impact of humans on the natural world.

Though we’re encouraged to close our eyes and immerse ourselves in the soundscape, it’s rewarding to watch the four performers bring this world to life using (among other materials) pak choi, gravel and a metal watering can – inhabiting their roles with every fibre of their being.

Rural life is unforgiving. Over the course of a single day, the cow gives birth and the deer’s world is irretrievably altered.

It’s an extraordinary and unexpectedly emotional experience, where sound conveys both story and sensation. Cow | Deer urges us to reflect on our negative impact on nature and our responsibility toward other species.

Until October 11
royalcourttheatre.com/