2016 IN PLAYS

Upon reflecting on the year that has been, I have been thinking about the prolific amount of theatre that I've seen! This is partly from wearing my Belvoir hat, but has also been a wonderful opportunity to really get to know this vibrant arts community in Sydney again, and further afield. So it felt appropriate to make a list of my favourites; a summary of my 2016, through plays! The most brilliant shows that have made my heart race:

THE DROVERS WIFE

by Leah Purcell

Belvoir

Leah Purcell is a powerhouse.  This play is the definition of good theatre.  After one of the previews I heard a woman behind me lean in to her friend and say “Is this normal? I have never see anything like it!” Her surprise at how deeply moving a play can be, I think, says it all.

BANKSTOWN POETRY SLAM

Bankstown Arts Centre

Something very special is brewing at the Bankstown Poetry Slam. I have been to a few of their slams this year and am consistently inspired by their passion and community. I was moved to tears when two primary school kids performed a poem about the planet at the Grand Slam.  Their inclusiveness and support for one another as each poet steps up to articulate their hearts through fleeting words is very moving. And I get genuinely excited by the amount of strong women gaining momentum through this medium.

MOTHER’S SPICE

Information Cultural Exchange

Parramatta

An intimate performance born from a mothers group for new migrant women and refugees run by ICE.  Four women share their stories of migration and memories of home through food, culminating in a shared meal. The use of video projection was strong and highly theatrical. A beautiful platform for shared humanity and empathy.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Tinderbox/ Luckiest Productions

Roslyn Packer Theatre

There is just nothing like classic, done really bloody well! The performances were exquisite as was the design, particularly the simplicity of flooding the stage with colour. It made me realise that I know this musical from my childhood, and seeing it through adult eyes was very different.  There were very dark undercurrents to this production that were ripe for discovery.

BACK AT THE DOJO

by Lally Katz

Belvoir

Another Belvoir triumph this year.  I fell in love with this play and it’s enormous heart.  And such a strong ensemble of a cast; I particularly loved the energy that incorporating karate brought to the storytelling and space.

BRUCE

by Tim Watts and Wyatt Nixon-Lloyd

The Last Great Hunt

Adelaide Fringe

With a simple puppet at it’s core (Bruce is a rectangular sponge with eyes!), this show illuminates the magical power of brilliant storytelling. It is a rare thrill to be part of an audience who are entirely enthralled and charmed in equal measure.

STOLEN

by Jane Harrison

National Theatre of Parramatta

I was really impressed by this production, particularly the way Vicki Van Hout worked to create a physical vocabulary with the ensemble to articulate the text. There was an authenticity to their movement and a different kind of storytelling that felt exciting to me. They were able to find moments that sat within a kinaesthetic intelligence, moving away from the cerebral. 

ALL THE SEX I’VE EVER HAD

Mammalian Diving Complex 

Sydney Festival

A group of elders share the stories of their sex lives over decades.  A performance that could make you laugh and cry.  It was such a clever framing device from the directors, giving snapshots of a lifetime, filled with passion, heartbreak, vulnerability and humanity. 

PRIMAL MATTER

by Dimitris Papaioannou

Dance Umbrella, London

Performed in an old loading dock in Brick Lane, this was one of the shows that really caught my eye while I was in London this year.  I love the way Dimitris is playing with form- I think he is ahead of the game here. The images he layers on top of one another are intelligent and thought provoking, as are his tactile experiments with objects and live sound/ silence.

BJORK DIGITAL

by Bjork

Somerset House, London

Once again I felt confirmation that Bjork is consistently ahead of the curve.  This was not a performance but an exhibition of her video clips, several of which were virtual reality and designed for installation.

I was particularly moved by her installation of "Black Lake", where she invited the audience into a space with two screens on parallel sides of the room (like an inverted traverse space). And before it began we were invited to move around the space during the song as the sound could be heard differently a various points in the room.  The song was about heart break and being split in two.  I loved that the audience naturally placed themselves in two halves, with a divide down the centre in order to have both screens accessible on either side.  And I loved when a certain base line started after a slow build that people began to move around the space at once. This felt inherently theatrical to me, and a true immersive experience.