Thank You For Coming: Attendance, Faye Driscoll, Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 9th 2016

Thank You For Coming: Attendance, Faye Driscoll, Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 9th 2016

"Thank You For Coming: Attendance", Faye Driscoll, Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Festival, Sunday 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.

Do not read further as my memories contain spoilers.  They are not really spoilers but become the icing on the cake for my memories. Forgive my randomness with my memories as I am still in after-glow of my memories. The order in many ways does not matter as the experience was gold.

I wrote the following on Facebook as soon as I got home:

"Thank You For Coming: Attendance" by Faye Driscoll at Arts House for the Melbourne Festival was one of the most life affirming uplifting dance events I have ever attended.  It was the ripple effect (management activity) in dance with the audience being encased in the action.  I was asked to hold a dress for about half an hour in a particular way by a young lady.  I welcomed her and the company to Melbourne and shook her hand.  Other audience members were holding other props too.  I got swept into the action and had to hold the dress aloft for her.  There was no escape I had to hold it as the canvas went over my head.  What an experience. I held the dress aloft as she slipped into it.  She asked for her water bottle and makeup that were being held by others. She was in a reclining pose that was hard to hold for a non dancer.  I supported her back as she applied the makeup looking into her mirror.  The young lady thanked me "That is the best back support I have ever had".  The finale involved such joy and inclusiveness.  It was an event and I cannot wait for  this company's return for the next two instalments.  (Name of a friend inserted here) it was like that Turkish class we had back at VCA in 1979.  You were there in spirit!

We lined up for the General Admission and I was disappointed that upon arriving at the door we were sent back to get new tickets.  What?  We purchased our tickets at the Melbourne Festival launch.  I had to change our tickets for a laminated version.  Then to be told I was not on the list!  They took my name and asked who I was with.  I knew something was odd when they asked my partner's name and then I realised they were going to use our names in the show.

Upon our second attempt to enter the theatre, our friend who we were chatting with in the foyer had a laminated ticket and when chatting with him did not think anything of it.  Thankfully he saved a spot for both of us. He pointed for us to take off our shoes and then join him.

A small stage of about 3 metres by 3 metres sat in the centre of the North Melbourne Town Hall.  The stage was about 45 cms high and covered in white canvas. The stage was supported by thick wooden legs secured by an occasional wide black strap. I did not think much more about these black straps.

As the audience continued to enter various people (who I later learned were the cast) would approach audience members and say something to them.  The cast would give them what looked like a prop or a costume.

I was approached by a young female dancer who asked me if I would hold her dress for her.  She emphasised it had to be held by both straps at the top.  She said "You will know when to give it to me".  I shook her hand and welcomed her to Melbourne.  I obliged and held the black with a small amount of gold trim dress that was similar to a Charleston flapper's dress with all of the dangling pieces of narrow fabric.  (I did not know that holding it for about half an hour would be so tiring.  I was protecting something precious and enjoyed being included. I was being welcomed in my home town by a stranger!)

My friend, who saved our seats (floor positions),was given a knitted top.  He could hold it in his lap while I had to hold my black dress in a very precise way.  My friend joked "Now don't stuff it up!"  My partner was given a lip-balm and a comb.  We were like the Three Wise Monkeys!  "Hold up evil.  Lap in evil. Embalm in evil!" (A bad joke I know!)

Finally the show began at about 5.15 pm.  Later on reflection it may have started earlier with the cast giving out props etc.  I know it did not start right on 5.00 pm.  Sitting on the floor is also not my thing with my tricky back.  But I knew there would be some standing involved, so I made allowances and just coped.  I knew this was going to be special event and I did not want to miss out.  Oh no I could espy a few mobile phones.  Thankfully they were put away without an announcement.

The cast entered and walked past the audience onto the main stage behind us.  I swivelled around making sure I protected my little black dress.

The cast sang what seemed a song of welcome and I could not catch all of the words.  I would love the lyrics to know exactly what they sang.  I did catch "If you need to leave....." and think they sang a something about go to the wall and someone will help you.

The five performers then moved to the centre of the North Melbourne Town Hall onto the 3 metre square stage. Each performer/dancer adopted a pose and the others interlocked to create a large shape that was not going to stay that way for very long.  Of course momentum would adjust the balance of one performer and then the ripple effect would continue.

Each performer's pose varied with one in a long lunge and extended arabesque and another in an attitude position etc.  Each performer had contact with at least one other person.

Gradually momentum built and the ripple effect took hold.  This is similar to the management activity of "The Ripple Effect" showing how one person's action can impact others. (This can also be read as departments, companies, countries etc) Note there are many variations of the ripple effect activity.

The ripple changes the shape and the rhythm also changes as the cast try to maintain balance.  There was a lot of contact improvisation involved.  One young lady wore a bruise to show the potential dangers of contact improvisation and as a badge of honour. They were a very skillful ensemble who crossed each other's physical boundaries in ways that many people would find confronting.  At times they looked mechanical or robotic with their connectivity.

Some sequences of the contact improvisation involved humorous gestures.  A tickle here, a touch there.  A kiss here, or a friendly pat on the bum (note an USA fanny - NOT an Australian fanny!)

This connection developed over time as they stomped and stamped their way on the small stage trying to keep in one unit.  At times they would move around to ensure that all four sides of the stage could obtain a different view.  It was respectful and mindful of those watching.  They were "attending" to our needs also.

Every performance is totally unique as you cannot rehearse to replicate every move.  The improvisation includes sequences or phrases with each dancer having a physical and or emotional goal.

Music or sounds evolved as the action prior to this had been in silence.

They developed into a long snake like shape and entered the audience.  The cast played with different audience members enticing them to become involved in the "contact improvisation".  One lady took off someone's glasses which really broke the ice.  It was safe play and interaction.

The snake like ensemble moved to the area opposite our side.  More interaction occurred with sections of the audience. Then they approached another side of the stage and then a third side.

I noticed a technician put on black gloves and entered the central area opposite where we sat.  I thought at first there was something wrong with the sound connection as it seemed to be stuck.  The technician seemed to go under the stage.  The music continued.  People started looking under the stage.  She was sliding underneath and undoing the black straps that held the wooden legs together. Wow - we witnessed so many wonderful surprises.

The snake ensemble rolled back onto the low stage and this time undid the canvas floor and they wrapped themselves up within a roll of carpet.  They rolled towards us.  Our side started to back away to give them room.  The canvas was held by their left hands as they showed us they meant business and were in pursuit of our side of the audience.

They rolled off the stage and made contact with each of us.  The Three Wise Monkeys had been caught.  The young lady whispered "Don't go" and I stayed as the canvas stage was hoisted over my head.  I held her black dress aloft creating a shape to protect it.  This must have looked like a tower under the canvas as I am quite tall - even when sitting.

I giggled and laughed at how ridiculous I must look holding this black dress aloft.  I was also relishing in and enjoying my involvement.  There was no way out.  I was triumphant and held her black dress aloft. I did not allow the black dress to get tangled.

"Thank You For Coming: Attendance" reminds me of aspects of "The Serpent" by Jean-Claude van Itallie, from New York's Open Theatre in 1969: in particular the connection to the audience. The staccato greeting section is similar to the strobe lighting movement in the JFK assassination scene. The other aspect that reminds me of this play is that "The Serpent"  is described on the cover of the play as a ceremony.  Both are rituals and ceremonial in performance.  The snake section at the end reminded me of the Adam and Eve section from "The Serpent".

I adored these brilliant performers' sense of working in-the-round as they rotated as if performing on a Lazy-Susan dining platter.

The final section was such a celebration with the audience gradually being drawn into the action.  This celebration was also reminding us of the rituals and rites of passage that we pass through in our journey of life.  There is a wedding type ritual with the bouquets of flowers, the black shrouds (my souvenir piece of black cloth) for funerals, the birth ritual with the snake like weaving across the space etc.  "Thank You For Coming: Attendance" is a celebration of life in the past and present.  Bust most of all it is a celebration of being in the moment and living in the now.

I am writing and revising my notes in November 2016 as I savour the sheer brilliance of  "Thank You For Coming: Attendance".   When a show can move you for such a long period - it becomes the longest orgasm!  My memories may fade but will be relived and relished as Billy Joel sang in "For the longest time".

There are so many wonderful images to relive.  May you have as much fun and get the opportunity to become involved.

Please come back with parts two and there of this sensational show.

There were no distracting mobile phones during the show.

This show obtained a 8.5/10.

Reminder:  Send a copy to the company in NYC and thank them.

Edmund. The Beginning. Antechamber Productions, Arts House North Melbourne, Sunday November 15th 2015

Edmund. The Beginning.  Antechamber Productions, Arts House North Melbourne, Sunday November 15th 2015

"Edmund. The Beginning" is a one man show from Antechamber Productions, at Arts House North Melbourne, Sunday November 15th 2015.  "Edmund. The Beginning"  is an imaginary journey by Brian Lipson.

The stage is the upstairs Rehearsal Room at the  Arts House North Melbourne.  We see the 7.00 pm show and there is no lighting except for the curtains drawn back and allowing the light to shine in through the windows which provides a natural setting for such an unnatural play.

Brian Lipson introduces us to "Edmund. The Beginning" with his entrance in his multi-faceted costume that speaks volumes throughout the play.  It is as if he is stripping away his exterior to reveal his inner soul of compassion and vulnerability.

So many references went over my head as I am sure it will for many people.  This is a play rich in meaning, research and respect.  Brian Lipson is paying homage to so many people both living and dead in "Edmund. The Beginning."

This play, "Edmund. The Beginning" is one that I could easily see again due to the richness and complexity of the text.  I know that I am not the only audience member to miss some of the references.  Maybe they could include some of the references into the programme.

I loved the opening quote that he scrawls in chalk on the wall.  A great joke of unfinished business that I will not spoil.  This joke resonates, as it heightens our ignorance of so much unfinished business that we do not understand or appreciate about many characters in literature.  Edmund being the example in the title.

His opening lines use neuro- linguistic programming to position and differentiate his three embarrassing statements   This opening sequence also reveals a substantial contract with the audience, as Brian Lipson places items in positions to represent significant people.  He not only honours their position and stature in time but in space and memory.  He moves as if he is the moveable marker/guide on a living Ouija Board conjuring up memories - either real or imagined.

He uses a wonderful analogy of being the sun and these people revolve around him as if planets. With the sun slowly setting through the windows, the room darkens as if we are entering a new moon with each new character revealed.

At times it is as if his character Daniel is ranting.  But we are witnessing a confidential expose.

He shares the story of going to see Harold Pinter's play "The Homecoming" in London.  He travels on the train with Martin his friend.  As he tells us the story he opens and salts a packet of chips.  His timing is sublime as he has us in the palm of his hand awaiting his crunch on the single chip.  The audience are teased on numerous occasions and are distracted as he tells us this story.

In fact Brian Lipson uses so many distracting techniques to command our attention.  By using these distraction techniques you realise that you have the choice to focus elsewhere.  At times it can be hard work to concentrate on aspects of the performance and makes you refine your focus to filter out these distractions - to ensure you do not miss any nuggets of gold.

The first distraction technique is the strong smell of food as you enter the space.  He tells us about this smell at the end.  Such a wonderful "smell-o-vision" and so timely with the recent production of "1984" and the stench upon walking into "Bronx Gothic" (also at Arts House, North Melbourne.

The most significant distraction technique is when he hooks his mobile phone to a set of speakers and plays a ranting monologue.  We are listening to this rant when he announces that we must listen to him or miss the point of the play.  We all lean forward and try to listen to his important information. The audience struggle at times to cut through the background noise.  He is making a wonderful point of how people are distracted by technology and the immediate gratification rather than focusing on important issues of life: relationships with others and being in the moment.

The Pinter-esque pause has new meaning with his right hand being driven down into the chair and held during a long story.  His right hand is framed by the outline of the back of the chair; as if his hand is on stage.  Here, Brian Lipson takes the pause to a new level with stillness and heightens our curiosity what this means.  It got me thinking while watching him: Is his right hand a slave to the rest of his body?  He is honouring Harold Pinter's play "The Dumb Waiter" which I have seen many times. 

Whatever the meaning of this play, it is a fun and mesmerising work.  He challenges our thoughts in time and space.  He checks one, if not all of his five or six watches and at one stage he announces it is 44 minutes into the work.  He is right, as I took note of the starting time.  He teases us and suggests he may start again.  You can hear the suppressed and underlying groans in the room. Bodies shift in their seats waiting his next move.   He again has the audience's attention.  It is timely as this similar device was a major theme of the show  "YOUARENOWEHERE" which was presented at the Arts House for the 2015 Melbourne Festival. Wow, two shows at this same venue, from two different countries that teased and tested our perception of time and reality.

The final image is where Brian Lipson places his mobile phone on the chair to provide the lighting. The light shines upwards and creates the monstrous size version of his persona.  A wonderful and simple effect.

At times I found it hard to understand some of Brian Lipson's diction.

This is a wonderful work that highlights the beauty within the dark chasms of humanity, existence and literature.  He is seeking and revealing the gems hidden within the walls of darkened mines.

Peter Evans and Susie Dee directed "Edmund. The Beginning" and have created a work for long term discussion and soaring memories.  It is a play to transport you and will certainly do very well on the international festival circuit.

My head is still spinning a week later as I try to complete my review.  Whirling and spinning in as I try to recall so many wonderful memories.

This work obtained a 7.5/10 from both myself and partner.

YOUARENOWHERE, Performance Space 122, Arts House, North Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, Monday October 19th 2015

YOUARENOWHERE, Performance Space 122, Arts House, North Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, Monday October 19th 2015

I have written two versions of this review:  one with spoilers for myself and THIS ONE is published without the spoilers.

"YOUARENOWHERE" is presented by New York's Performance Space 122 in conjunction with Arts House, North Melbourne and the Melbourne Festival.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  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.

Wow what a way to spend Monday October 19th 2015!

I have written two versions of my review.  This one for public release is minus my spoilers.  The second version will be printed and stored with my programme.

This is my interpretation of what I saw in this sensational show called "YOUARENOWHERE" by Andrew Schneider and a superb team of collaborators/co-creators.

We were so lucky to have seen the last performance of "YOUARENOWHERE".  The Melbourne Festival can have its hits and misses and this show was certainly up there as one of the most memorable for this 2015 festival.  I am so glad that we took a chance when buying tickets with our package a few months earlier.

The doors opened at about 6.28 and we knew the show would not start on time.  What is new?  As no show we have attended the Melbourne Festival since 1986 has started on time.  We had bets on what time it would begin which was in keeping with the time travelling theme of the show.  We thought the show began at about 6.42 pm.  Well by my watch anyway!  MMMMM!? Or was it the past? Or the future of that time zone?  MMMM!

When entering the theatre I tripped on something which was a cushion.  For safety reasons there should have been an usher with a torch making patrons aware of a potential obstacle.  The theatre filled very quickly and the usher was struggling to locate vacant seats for those who could not sit on the cushions in the front row.  Two young people offered their seats to a smartly dressed couple who could sit on the floor mats in their attire.

Upon entering the theatre two people held long black hanging straps to be kept out of the way of the audience entering the theatre, and for safety reasons.  There was a stark white floor with a white background and black walls on either end of the staging area.  A rectangular shape hangs centre stage at about head height for a tall person.

Black out.  The show begins.  The harsh lighting presents the stark white stage.  Black out and the lights come up again and a man appears.  This repeats a few times with the man appearing and disappearing.  Is he there or not?  Did we really see him?  An instant contract is made with the audience to allow us to immediately enter the genre of theatre.

Andrew Schneider lies on the ground after one of the black out moments.  This reminded me of the repeating tripping sequence from Jenny Kemp's "Black Sequin Dress" performed at the Playbox Malthouse Theatre.  Here we are reminded of the time shifting blur between memory and reality.

He looks into the hanging rectangle which could be a mirror.  At times he seems to go through the mirror as if time shifting.   He talks about time and what is now or the past or the future.  We are spinning with time options.  Are we seeing the beginning, the end or the middle?

The sound of his voice is sampled and repeated.  His voice is scrambled.  Is it happening live?

He speaks to a crew as if giving directions when the lights or sound appear to muck up.  Could it be errors or directions?  It all blurs and you are taken on an incredible journey.

He sings a song into a microphone.  He has a lovely melodious voice.  I can't remember the song he sang now which frustrates the hell out of me.  I remembered at the time and loved the lyrics.  Did I really hear him sing?

Later he offers a lady sitting on the floor mat a CD and asks her to select a track.  The sound changes rapidly between many genres of music.  He is playing with us as if we are on a roller coaster ride, and our seats are our only safety device to protect us.

There is a huge blast of colour lighting change which is in total contrast to the black and white.

There is a duet with a man who presents a monologue on a screen.  He says the same monologue in unison with the man on the screen.  Sometimes the screen voice fades out,  The vocal unison is brilliantly executed.  He even mirrors the gestures and facial expressions of the on-screen image.

A train speeds across the large white backdrop.  At times it looks like it is in mirror image and other times it looks as if the same images are horizontally duplicated.  It blurs and your mind is spinning with this journey.  My partner could not tell me for sure as our realities are now divided.

He appears to lecture the audience about a missed opportunity.  There is a man and woman and he questions whether they saw each other as the train went through a station.  What do you see first - that which is forward or backward?  We saw a documentary on this similar story on television in 2014.  It also reminded us of a train and body scene from an Agatha Christie movie.

At no time was I  bored during this brilliant show which was so intriguing and yet there was more to come.

SPOILERS here have been deleted on purpose!

"YOUARENOWHERE"is one of the moments in time that you want to remember like I was three years old when JFK got shot and I remember the crying. Or Princess Diana died a day after my youngest brother died.  These are unforgettable events and this show is one that I want to talk to people about and yet I do not want to spoil it.

Make sure you see it when it comes to a theatre near you.

I adored the change of perspective.  It was as if our reality was being challenged, but the steak knives were yet to come!

We were then invited to change seats to get a new perspective.  I have seen this done before with a dance performance and more recently on Broadway with the final scenes in "Rocky - the musical".    (You may wish to read my review of  "Rocky the musical" that as I am still in awe at how they staged that final section.  It was amazing to watch the major staging of how security and stage management moved hundreds of people onto the stage as they flew in the boxing ring to cover the front rows of the Wintergarden Theatre.

The AA meeting sequence with the twelve steps where his voice is reversed and replayed.  But does he say some of this live too?  Boy we are really blurring what happened.

There are discussions about physics and time curving and Einstein's theory of relativity etc.  So much science that I do not pretend to understand.

I could not work out why the words in the title all joined together.  Thank you to The Age reviewer, Cameron Woodhead who pointed out that the title could be interpreted as either "You are nowhere" or "You are now here" on Saturday October 17th 2015.  I am glad I did not read his review until afterwards as it would have given me some hints and reduced the my head spinning during this show.

Near death experience:  Yes I nearly died in 1998 in a work accident and the opening sequence reminded me of some aspects of that memory.  Flashes and drifting in and out.

Ending with a light globe falling from the ceiling.  Or was the beginning action that caused his nosebleed.  He did not have the nosebleed at the start of the show. Whereas in a promotional video of "YOUARENOWHERE" he did have the nosebleed at the beginning of the show.   But was that the start of the show? He steps on the globe as he exits and it shatters.

He comes forward at least twice to tell us "This is the end" - once in blackout and then once in full light to repeat "This really is the end".  This ending reminded me of the Melbourne Festival 2014 show "Since I Suppose" by "One Step at a Time Like This" that concluded in a similar way in this exact same space twelve months ago.

After the show two young people swept up the shattered globe.   Did this just happen?  Or have we been watching a show for an hour?  What a great journey and all without alcohol or drugs!

It was delightful that there were no mobile phone incidents during the show.  An usher did make an announcement prior to entry for people to turn off their phones prior to entry as they could interfere with the equipment.  Mind you two people near us only turned their phones off at the last minute.

Andrew Schneider is a talented artist who is compelling to watch.  He has a great body, a rich melodious voice and is a terrific mover.  More so, he is a great story teller who takes us on a wonderful mind blowing journey.  I have seen many great artists perform and he is certainly in one of my favourite shows ever.  I cannot wait to see more of his works.

Congratulations on a brilliant show that finally pushed some of my boundaries with some simple and effective staging devices.   After seeing so many wonderful types of theatre over 49 years "YOUARENOWEHRE" is so far (as of October 21st 2015), my highlight of this year's Melbourne Festival.

Thank you to Josephine Ridge and the Melbourne Festival team for bringing Andrew Schneider with "YOUARENOWHERE".

This was sensational festival fare and gets 8.5/10.

Bronx Gothic, Arts House, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 11th 2015

Bronx Gothic, Arts House, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 11th 2015

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  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.

"Bronx Gothic" was originally produced by Performance Space 122 from New York and was presented at the Arts House in North Melbourne for the Melbourne Festival.

The first thing that hits you as you walk past the billowing white curtains entering the theatre is the heat.  It is oppressively hot.  The second thing that hits you is the stale and rancid stench.  The third is a woman, Okwui Okpokwasili dancing in the far corner of the stage with her back to the audience. We were allowed into the theatre at about 4.50 pm for the 5.00 pm performance.  A lady in the front row of three rows has to leave and get water.  I can barely breath.  Is this a part of the show?  If so, it is like "1984" with the smell-o-vision.  People were trying to get comfortable and at about 4.58pm the air conditioning sounded as if it had been turned on.  I wanted to vomit and fanned myself.

The performer Okwui Okpokwasili continued to dance with her back to the audience.  The corridor lights went down outside the white billowing curtains as the music changed slightly.  To me this was the beginning of the show as prior to this was context setting and a warm up.

Well Okwui Okpokwasili continued to dance until 5.15 and the music changed again.  The audience were getting tired of this.  I think we got the point!  The sound scape changed again slightly and this continued until 5.20 pm.  Yes I was clock watching as it was so uncomfortable.  She was so physically fit to be gyrating and pulsating for what was now half an hour.  She was wet and glowing with sweat.

Maybe this long prelude was to introduce us to the theme of the show.  Maybe the smell was a coincidence.  The dancing and sweat was like a combination of an African tribal dance, sexual ritual, a trance, self absorbed and a tantric orgasm.

Many audience members were intrigued with where this dance was going.  Some people were very uncomfortable with the length of this introduction.  In hindsight I think this would have been more powerful had it been for half the length of time.  Less is more.

Okwui Okpokwasili is a brilliant story teller and introduces us to her letters that she has rewritten from memory.  She reads from these letters and embellishes upon their contents.  The letters are discarded just like rape victims can be physically discarded.  The throwing away of these letters makes the story more poignant that no one will ever be able to erase horrific memories.

A rape dance sequence was repeated about three times where she assumed various poses of sexual exploitation: on all fours, rolling over, legs up etc.  This was more effective than the opening sequence as it was succinct and ultra specific in its choreographic intention.  Her facial expressions added to her body being exploited.

The set comprised of thirteen upturned lamps with their cellophane still on the lampshades.  The largest lamp had its cupid like stand broken in two.  Was this the object that she picked up and broke? It did not matter as the lamps were used to light the stage in varying intensities.

Some of the sections of "Bronx Gothic" reminded me of "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf" that I saw in 1976 at The Comedy Theatre. I even have the script and the original cast recording. The difference was that Okwui Okpokwasili performed as a soloist using her rich voice and brilliant physicality to bring multiple characters to life.  The other difference was that I had tears rolling down my face with some of the stories in "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf"  while with "Bronx Gothic" I felt empathy but did not have as deep theatrical connection to the characters.

The limited humour heightened the drama by giving us some relief.  This intensifies the drama and our attention.  Various stories and memories unfold.  There was a large group of school girls in the audience and they reminded me that was about their age when I saw "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf".

Close to the end of the show, the middle aged woman in front of me just had to check her phone for messages during a poignant moment.  How rude of her.  I was hoping for a performance distraction free of "twanking" mobile phone addicts. Sadly not.

Overall "Bronx Gothic" was a challenging show for the wrong reasons due to the oppressive environment.

I gave this performance a 7/10. My partner gave it a 4/10.

Marzo, Dewey Dell, Arts House, Tuesday October 14th 2014

Marzo, Dewey Dell, Arts House, Tuesday October 14th 2014

"Marzo" by Dewey Dell and Agate Castellucci played at the Arts House at the North Melbourne Town Hall.

It was scheduled to start at 7.30pm and we were not admitted into the theatre until at least 7.45pm. The show started 22 minutes late with no apology or explanation.  Why is it that commercial theatres tend to start on time or within five minutes of advertised time while subsidised theatre starts later?

Note that no show has started on time at any of the Spoletto, Melbourne International Arts Festival or as it is now called the Melbourne Festival.  It is rude.

No one took ticket stubs at the entrance to the theatre.  It was a General Admission event and could do what Chapel Off Chapel did for "Carrie: The Musical" and have roped off entry to allow fairer queuing into the venue or similar queuing to any Boradway or Off Broadway theatre.

There was no announcement before the show about the use of mobile phones and cameras. They did have signs on the doors to the theatre but you could not read these once the doors were open. 

"Marzo" used Japanese dialogue with English surtitles. There was no mention of surtitles in the Melbourne Festival brochure when I booked the show.   It was only by chance that I looked up to see the surtitles.

The whole show reminded me of Rosie from The Jetsons meets the Michelin men (from the tyre company) doing a VCE dance project.

The costume designs by Yuichi Yokoyama had a cartoon quality about them.  The best part was the costumes for the main male character, the white beak, the Michelin men and the star. The masks were beautifully designed and constructed. The red and white jump suit had awful lines and was very unflattering with creases in all of the wrong spots. 

The best moment was the entrance of what looked like a fish on stage left and then crawled onto the stage and became a star. At times it looked like a Ku Klux Klan member in black.  This performer was the only one who worked their costume to create a fully realised character and the movements were the most creative and choreographed.  The use of the star costume paid true homage to the work of Alwin Nikolais  (who we were fortunate to see at the first Spoleto Festival in Melbourne at The Playhouse in 1986.)

These performers need to do more mask work or Disney type character work to fully understand how to work their costumes.  There is no real definition of a style of movement without any real clean lines or pure movements.  Even large archetypal movements lacked definition.

The supposed synchronisation of the dance of the Michelin type characters was messy.  They needed to be sharp and precise and the movements were blurred and ill defined.

The surtitles did not always have any relationship to what was happening on stage.  The funniest moment was the "One fig, two ......nine cucumbers, ten winter melons" sequence.  The stance and gesture of the red and white costumed performer with the blue-round-head character was quite funny.  As the "nine cucumbers, ten winter melons" slide came up it was quite an innocent moment, as if bragging about the size of their own genitalia.  I wonder if this was intentional?

It was a stylised production in design but lacked real definition of any style of movement.  There was no drama to their story telling and it rambled on.  The relationships between the characters seemed contrived and the gestures and movements lacked meaning due to some very awkward pauses.

The set and lighting design by Eugenio Resta did not provide great atmospheres. The most interesting aspect was the white backdrop and the floor.  The stark white set with the black tabs had a textured-like rubbery floor.  We could feel the vibrations of the performers as we sat in the front row. 

The curtain calls were very amateurish and reminded me of a poorly conceived student production.

Read the programme notes for more information about "Marzo" as the closest association is that we, as the audience are on another planet watching this very alien production that does not live up to their own notes.

Overall this production gets 5/10.