War and Peace, Gob Squad, The Coopers Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 30th 2016.

War and Peace, Gob Squad, The Coopers Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 30th 2016.

"War and Peace", has been adapted to the stage by Gob Squad from Leo Tolstoys' famous thick book and was presented at The Coopers Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre for the Melbourne Festival (which was also their final show) on Sunday October 30th 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.

As per the Melbourne Festival brochure the show is described as "A never ending parade of characters dance, dine and duel while performers prepares for scenes as if going into battle, all in order to re-frame Tolstoy's central inquiry:  can we live a moral life in an imperfect world?  Are our peaceful lives themselves in a kind of warfare?"  

I have seen Gob Squad's work on at least two previous occasions and knew that I was to be stretched emotionally and theatrically.  Other people who I met during the festival had seen the show and hated it; and so my expectations were lowered, but I was willing to see it for myself.

I am so pleased I did.  "War and Peace" by Gob Squad is not everyone's cup of tea.  "War and Peace" is a thought provoking piece of theatre and meets the above description thoroughly. My partner and I have not read Tolstoy's book though we have seen a BBC mini-series twice and also watched the 1966 movie years ago.  So we had a basic idea of the story, characters and themes.   Gob Squad captured the themes and some of the major events mentioned in Tolstoy's mammoth book.  

The show has a dubious starting time.  We were admitted into the theatre about five minutes late.  So maybe the show started at this moment.  Or did it start at about 4.50 pm when three of the actors came into the foyer with their spiral-note-books to talk with patrons?  Either way the show did not really get under way until about 5.15 pm. 

Set Design is by the ingenious and inventive Romy Kiesling.  The actors interviewed the guests at their table during different times throughout the show.  The camera was pivoted to change the focus as each guest was interviewed and projected onto two screens on either side of the open stage. Upstage was a portable tent with netting for curtains.  Inside two camera were positioned: from the upstage-right and downstage-left corners of the tent.

Video Design by Miles Chalcraft and Anna Zett  provides the audience with so many perspectives.  

Costume Design by Ingken Benesch is clever and confronting in a fun sort of way.  Her designs expose the legs and crotches of the actors in a fun but not pornographic way.  Her designs for the fashion parades entice us into the absurd world of fashion mixed up with historical references on steroids.  The oak trees, birch trees and camouflage costumes reminded me of the forest trees en pointe from the Snow White sequence in "Disney on Parade" about 1971/72.

The actors discuss the salon:  What is a salon? Have you ever been in a salon?  How do you behave in a salon?  Do you cry and sulk in a corner?  We are introduced to a French phrase to save us from any arguments.

Tatiana Saphir asked us to consider the sword from Napoleonic times with a 114 marking, while Sharon Smith showed us the heavy book "War and Peace" by Tolstoy.  The sword represented fact while the book represented fiction, and both were separated by the tent central on stage.

A discussion led by Simon Will with his guest shared their common history - education at school. Both had learnt English history and Simon said his history education had skipped over Colonial history. This raises the question about learning facts and linear history compared to concepts and themes. This links into the question for the audience: were they expecting a retelling of the book or prepared to enter the philosophical presentation about the themes, concepts and issues that Tolstoy raises in his book?  Can we ever know all history?

One actor asked us to extend our left arm and then to put our index and middle finger from our right hand on the left wrist to feel our pulse.   The audience did so and then were asked to count their pulse out aloud.  The timing went on for about 40 seconds and the theatre was full of various versions of their pulse being counted.  This was a lovely piece of audience participation that highlighted our individuality and our mortality.  The audience counting their heart beats was like a collective battlefield of dying soldiers or the anticipation of entering battle.  The actor asked whether your pulse was higher than a given figure.  Again this question may have raised the stress levels for some audience members.  It was a great moment of personal reflection on our individual health.

I loved the other part of the audience participation to remember our history as the 18 or 19th performance in Melbourne.  The actor asked us to say "it" (as the word was the 18th or 19th word from a part of the book.  I am not sure if she said it was from the final paragraph of Tolstoy's book?). We rehearsed all saying "it" together and then Sharon Smith conducted the sound recording. Someone up the back squealed the word "it" at a high pitch.  Sharon Smith made a great remark "I've been sound bombed" in reference to the social media practise of a stranger spoiling a photo by doing something to invade the space of those in the photo.  This sound bomb is a part of the history of this show.  Wow this links in the memory of history depicted from the show too.

The show gave us snippets from the book but more importantly drew our attention to history and remembrance.  We saw pictures from history depicting major events.  We subconsciously question the accuracy of these paintings by considering other questions.  The guests were asked how they were exposed through the media and social networking to war.

Sharon Smith asks her guest if she would slap her.  Her guest said no but it could happen potentially if she was provoked.  Sharon Smith asked if she would kiss her.  Then Sharon Smith said "kiss me on the lips."  The lady said "your lips are sweet".  We are introduced to so much richness in this simple sequence: with the slap representing - war and the kiss - peace.  We are also introduced subtly to the concept of "kiss and make-up' or even "kiss and tell" or "pillow talk".

One lady was asked whether we live in a time of war or peace.  Sharon Smith asked her "who would potentially declare war on Australia?"  China and Indonesia were discussed as examples.  New Zealand is scoffed as an example to make light of the serious and thought provoking moment.

Simon Will played or pretended to play a harp at one stage and sang John Lennon's "Imagine".  We had an opportunity to contemplate peace.  What is peace?  Are we at peace?   One actor talked about the content of the next verse.

A fashion parade was shown in two sections with various clothing featured to depict the various characters from Tolstoy's book.  Each actor modelled various fashion items depicting both a modern twist incorporated with the characters.

We were introduced to Lenin and Tolstoy.  They kissed. What does a kiss represent: a welcome, a seduction, a comfort or reconciliation?  Is a kiss a sign of making up?

The second fashion show depicted famous people throughout history.   A Disney style character, Donald Trump, Marilyn Monroe etc.

There was a discussion by Simon Will with his guest about what shape or image would depict or describe something as powerful.  The guest said a line could not describe it.  I sadly cannot remember all of the details of this discussion but it links to the final images of the snow and fog writing a story or history.    There is so much richness in this work - the snow and the cold depicted in the book/movie/BBC mini series versions of "War and Peace".  The fog illustrated the blur, or not being able to see clearly in war but also for us to be able to see history clearly.

We are living in an historic time.  How would we describe this time?  History is written or remembered after the event.  Maybe that is why the images of "One Direction" and the boy band poses emphasised the "Instagram" and social media interaction to record history as it is happening.  Social media seems to have a focus on creating history and remembering those meals and these "selfie" moments.

At one stage Sharon Smith performs a Tolstoy dance with a rhythmic gymnastic ribbon.  It is a terrific example of the Olympics and the competitive nature of sports, plus the ridiculousness of this style of dance.  These competitions are examples of war and competitiveness - with a winner receiving the Gold Medal, runners up and the losers.  We can consider: who are the real winners? Who are the cheats?  What would you do to win?

I loved when Simon Will entered as Pierre.  His timing was poor as he interrupted Sharon Smith. This awkward moment recreated some great moments from the mini-series where Pierre's timing appeared at odds with others.

I adored the section where the three actors appeared as different versions of Pierre with his glasses. It was as if they were auditioning for the role.  The confused or smiling Pierre etc.  The guests even donned the Pierre round glasses.  Were they also sublimely having an eye/fitness test to enter the military?  Were they competing for their social status or their intelligence test?  Were they displaying their physical disability? Or were the glasses showing their vulnerability - "would you hit someone wearing glasses?"  This simple sequence stirred up so many emotions.

I loved the use of the cameras and the close ups of actors or guests. At times the camera would capture another actor off guard to create some light relief. The close up of the two bottles of Vodka and French Brandy was a great image of Russian and French conflict.

 The tent was used as a preparation area or a neutral zone at times.  Inside the tent were two cameras providing us with alternative angles to provide us with alternative versions of history.

To me the modern day version of "War and Peace" is self imposed technology, mobile phone and social media addiction.  A new disease is "Fear of missing out" and I was so pleasantly surprised that this show did not have any mobile phone distractions.  Whether patrons liked the show or not, there was a wonderful peace as we had no mobile phone distractions throughout the show.   This was the most peaceful of all Melbourne Festival offerings and highlighted the need to find peace in this performance and not be disturbed. This audience wanted to be entertained and not to be "distracted".  They did not want to be at war with outside distractions.  This "peace" was within and showed respect to these fine artists and to other patrons.

Sharon Smith asked her guest "What do you do to distract yourself?"  The lady mentioned reading and movement.  This linked to the themes of indulgence and distracting oneself from war or from your own troubles.  A video and stills of cats and dogs was shown to demonstrate a common distraction for people.  It also highlighted the sense of an animal living in the moment and being, rather than living in the stressful past or future of our minds.

The image of walking into Tolstoy's head was sensational.  We then saw the images from inside the tent: as if we were inside Tolstoy's brain.  Where did Tolstoy develop his motivation and sense for this story?  It was so clever and so simple.

The final image of the oak tree among the birches was haunting as the actor described how the old oak tree had witnessed so much history.

The cast led the guests to look to the sky on the main screen.  The lady with her guest held her left arm extended and the right hand talking her pulse.  I did the same as I remembered our earlier audience participation.  About a minute later the cast all started counting their pulse.  Beautiful and pulsating with our blood running through our veins, as there was so much blood spilled on the battlefields.  This was a powerfully kinaesthetic and visceral image than we could sense.

There were some lovely quotes during the show that I now struggle to remember.  I savour the image and the feeling of being disturbed and confronted in a safe environment.  

Sadly about six patrons walked out during the show.  I noticed each time when patrons walked out was during or just after examples with a predictable bias. Maybe some of these audience members thought the discussions were too preachy.  Applause at times overshadowed what some of the guests were saying and I wanted to hear their contributions.  The applause recognised some ideas which are parochial and can be politically divisive.  The applause was predictably to demonstrate their public acceptance of these causes. Cool - I get it.  But what about those people who have different opinions and ideas?  I would have loved to have seen a performance where their views were contrary to many of the audience.  To me finding the similarities in differences was more important. There was a sequence about having discussions with friends and family about sensitive topics like politics, religion or war etc.

Maybe I am at war with myself for not remembering the details of this wonderful experience. Though I can confidently say that I am more at peace with myself for having had this experience, and, to be able to savour "War and Peace" by Gob Squad for years to come.

I think this is my favourite work by Gob Squad and I was so pleasantly surprised at how accessible this philosophical approach worked.  It is a show that I could see again and I am now tempted to read the book.

"War and Peace" adaptation by Gob Squad received an 8/10 from me while my partner surprisingly gave it a 9/10.