Stage concept and choreography for the new United Kingdom entry.
This year's entry “Recycle Me” is a song about the angst of on-again off-again relationships, and so the stage performance emphasises two very distinct phases in alternation. The song is a rollercoaster where the verse is about the flirtatious build-up from a transactional starting point, while the chorus is about peaks of passion, conflict, and heartfelt breakdown. The concept also builds on the idea of recycling.
The subtle nature of the verse of the song is represented by dancers with white face masks and stark black and white costumes that include bubble-wrap and recyclable materials. The lighting is white. The face masks hide the people's features and they do a sort of regimented mime-like dance. Some appear out of cardboard boxes. But as it progresses the masks slip off and are cast away revealing colorfull painted faces beneath, contrasting with the black and white theme. As the verse progresses they start to dance flirtatiously with each other.
During this process the main singer in front wears bright colors and contrasts with the other actors.
Eventually the chorus comes in and everything changes. The lighting becomes colourful and the set changes to chaotic organic swirls, and the couples start to tango together, with costumes transitioning to red, suggesting the feeling of flames. The dancing becomes chaotic and the recycled materials and masks are cast off and become garbage on the floor, trampled under foot.
Flashes occur and people come onto the stage from both sides dressed in boxy clothing made to look like military tanks, opposing each other, and there are now soldiers wearing uniforms with robotic motions. They drive the other people off. A mock up of a bulldozer arrives with people pushing brooms who all come to clear away the recyclable debris. Things fade back to black and white again as the mime dancers come back on in the same stark black and white clothing just as the next verse starts to be sung.
The scenes repeat in this way and the main singer remains to hold it together to the end, as all else is cleared away by the close of the last chorus.
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