Lady Eats Apple, Back To Back Theatre, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, Wednesday October 10th 2016

Lady Eats Apple, Back To Back Theatre, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, Wednesday October 10th 2016

"Lady Eats Apple" by Back To Back Theatre played at the Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne for the  Melbourne Festival on Wednesday October 10th 2016

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

The doors opened at about 7.55pm and the performance started at about 8.13pm.  The Melbourne Festival brochure stated the show went for an hour.  The email received a few days before the performance and the programme stated the show went for one hour and fifteen minutes.  Well it went for an hour.  But if you include the time from when the doors opened then it was one hour and fifteen minutes.  Pedantic! Yes as one actor held up a sign stating "The show is about to start" at about 8.13pm.  I do not feel cheated by time but the inconsistency as the programme surely was printed more recently.

We entered via a back entrance past the dressing rooms.  We then entered the theatre via a blown up doorway resembling female anatomy.  We were instructed that the easiest way to enter was with both hands.  I did see a gentleman enter sideways which was more sensible.  This entry was single file and fun.  I now realised that our tickets were GA for General Admission as the numbers on the ticket were weird.  I thought they were using a code or mathematical pattern as our tickets were exactly double GA81 and GA162.  We ended sitting up in the back row and had a good overall view of the experience.  It was interesting at the end of the show to look down the sides of the tiered seating to see where the Hamer Hall stage and the stage entrance doors were located.  The tiered seating challenged our perspective and reminded me of the Peter Brook's production of  "The Conference of the Birds" at the old HSV Tele-theatre (Regent Theatre) in Fitzroy in about 1980 that used portable tiered seating.  Mind you this tiered seating was safer than at Fitzroy!

Each audience member wore a set of headphones and were instructed to ensure the cord was on the left hand side.  The sound quality was terrific in stereo and at times the actors appeared as if they were next to you or behind you.  Many audience members had the same experience of checking over their shoulder to see if the sound was coming from behind them.  The sound quality was sensational.

Act One was called "An Insecure God" with the introduction of a God like character and lots of animals being projected onto the screen.  It was a bit like Noah's Ark and full of mythological references.

Act Two was called "Matter Creates Matter" and I assume began when the black inner shell of fabric flew away to reveal a white shell of fabric.  This sequence of darkness and light appeared to be the evolution of the universe.  It was very much like Stephen Hawking but went on for too long.  Yes it was thought provoking and it was very subtle what was happening, and needed more obvious direction/action to keep our attention.  Two people walked out as nothing seemed to be happening when in fact you had to look closely at what you could see.  With due respect the cast needed time to change into their next costumes and to reach their new destination.

Act Three was called "The Human Bond" and I think it began when the white outer shell was flown away to reveal the Hamer Hall's empty seats.   The view looking out into the Hamer Hall from the tiered seating was spectacular - we were put into the traditional configuration of the Hamer Hall and the performer's shoes thereby obtained the view of performers looking into the audience.  This view showed us the expansive empty audience seats.  It was as if we were looking into the universe with all of the stars and planets and here there these small people in the distance and we could eaves drop on their conversations.

It challenged our perspective of a performance and the cast were now cleaning the seating area on the second level.   We could hear their conversations and at one point I nearly jumped out of my seat as I thought Simon Laherty was standing behind me.

We sat on the Hamer Hall's stage on a portable set of tiered seating (which I learned was hired.   What a waste in some ways that they could not use the portable seating from the Fairfax Studio which I believe is still n storage in one of  the Arts Centre's rehearsal rooms.  

The last section was checking on the body of Brian Lipson who had lain on the main stage since the black curtain was flown out.

The lighting was effective but the most spectacular aspect was the sound with the fabric shells disappearing.

"Lady Eats Apple" should tour for the complexity of the skills involved in putting the work together.  The set design and operation is superb.  I am so curious where it will play overseas.  I could see it playing at one of the theatres at the Lincoln Centre.

This is a thought provoking piece of theatre.

Technically this show gets a 9.5/10.

Overall "Lady Eats Apple" received a 6/10