A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol, by Cambodian Living Arts, A World Premiere for the Melbourne Festival, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, Friday October 13th 2017

A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol, by Cambodian Living Arts for the Melbourne Festival, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, Friday October 13th 2017

"A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol", a World Premiere was presented by Cambodian Living Arts at the Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne for the Melbourne Festival on Friday October 13th 2017.

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"A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol", a World Premiere was presented by Cambodian Living Arts at the Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne for the Melbourne Festival on Friday October 13th 2017.

"A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol" was going to be a special event for those who remember the tragedies in Cambodia or the film "The Killing Fields".  This performance was to honour the dead and did so with such grace and dignity that I had tears streaming down my face at the vision on the three split screens and the accompanying music and genteel ceremony on the stage.
Director Staging, Gideon Obarsanek has done a wonderful job in realising the depth of respect, honour and ceremony with "A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol".  

The Hamer Hall looked majestic and prepared with white shrouds and instructions hung on the back of every seat in the theatre.  We were to wear these white shrouds over our shoulders as a mark of respect.  Donning the shroud felt ceremonial as to prepare you for this occasion.

The opening was a long parade of the entire cast and local residents from the Cambodian community (?) wearing white shrouds.  They each took a large stone and placed it downstage with all other stones.  Each group of musicians or singers would then go to their designated area.

Composer Him Sophy has created a moving tribute that is both respectful and uplifting of the human suffering and sacrifice.  Him Sophy has created a beautiful score that was played by the combined orchestra from Cambodia and local musicians.   The choral singing by twelve young people was rich in tone and emotion.  The harmonies were exquisite and were so healing and cathartic.  The final section was colourful and cheerful and gave hope after all of the suffering and pain.

Director, Designer and Filmmaker and Oscar Nominee, Rithy Panh created vision on split screens that showed many historical images that included so much death and destruction.  Images of abandoned buildings and remaining items gathering dust were equally haunting.  In fact these images of desolation and loneliness heightened the images of death as there were no people in these photos.  A wall of photos of individuals was created and exacerbated our grief and sense of reality.  Any of these people could be your mother, father,s sister, brother, auntie or uncle or a friend or colleague.

Rithy Panh also created images of hope and the future.  The colourful banners in the final section were uplifting and a joyful celebration of life.

Musical Director and Conductor, Andrew Cyr led the three separate musical ensembles, traditional Cambodian instruments, string section and the choir, to create a fusion of emotional depth and beauty.

The poetry in a libretto by Trent Walker is eloquent, meditative and simple in their clarity.  "Calm your anger, let it go" is one such healing phrase.

The audience were grateful and applauded with such enthusiasm for such a magnificent World Premiere work.

At the conclusion, many in the theatre sat and contemplated what they had witnessed.  People need time to understand what they had experienced.

Leaving the theatre each patron was issued with a small orange envelope.  Inside was a small photo of someone who had died.  My photo was of a family.  I immediately broke down in the foyer.  This simple gesture personalised the tragedy.  My partner suggested that we frame our two photos with the programme.  In fact, tears just rolled down my face in remembrance of that moment and for the Cambodian people who have perished and for their families left behind.

"A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol"  will tour the world successfully and hopefully heal so much hatred.

"A Requiem For Cambodia: Bangsokol" obtained an 8.5/10.