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Sunstruck
Date of Show:
Monday, 14th March 2011 (All day)
Venue:
Arts House Sunstruck is a poetic elegy for light, dance and sound to slide into the imagination.
Sunstruck is a physical concept from the minds of Helen Herbertson and Ben Cobham. I use the term ‘physical concept’ because I feel the performance should be deemed less a dance piece and more a series of scenes through movement.
The piece consisted of two performers clad in black, Trevor Patrick and Nick Sommerville, who performed seemingly random movements – at times punctuated by equally random vocalisations – that portrayed a series of emotions, as opposed to a specific and tangible story. The movement could hardly be called dance, but rather a combination of mime, disjointed monologues and a kind of physical Tourette’s, that saw both performers using the space almost violently at times. This kind of ‘physical realisation’ (for it is not called ‘choreography’ in the program) is oddly compelling – but only for a short period of time. The sameness of the movement meant that the dynamic of the piece tended to flat line, with very little variation and only one really climactic moment.Both performers were certainly both physically and emotionally invested in the piece, but the repetitive nature of the movement meant that there was little opportunity for either of them to really show off any actual dance expertise. There was only one point in the performance where I felt I had a glimpse of what these men were physically capable of. This was personally disappointing, having seen Nick Sommerville perform before and been impressed by his skill in dance.
If I felt the movement fell short of expectations, it was made up for by a simple, yet innovatively constructed performance space. The whole piece was clearly designed to be a truly sensual experience wherein the emotion of the action is brought to bear on the audience in a rather intimidating fashion. As the audience entered the black void of the Northcote Town Hall, we were offered a cup of sake, the pungent taste a precursor to the intensity of the piece. The audience were seated in a circle of chairs that enclosed the performance space, which was lit by a single light on a stand that moved on a track that created a circle around the audience. The light, reminiscent of the sun, moved around the space; sometimes brightly lighting the performers, sometimes turned off altogether. We were constantly aware of its watchful eye, as it moved behind us and in front of us – at times the audience felt that they themselves were just as much in the spotlight as the performers.
The performers were, at times, alarmingly close, and this sense of the audience’s inclusion was compounded by the musicians that provided both a haunting and interesting soundtrack. Tamil Rogeon and Tim Blake began their accompaniment from somewhere in the black void, outside the circle, but soon began to move both around and within the audience. Both musicians must be commended not only on their exquisite playing, but the fact that they did a majority of it in pitch blackness. All in all, it was not hard to feel both drawn in and unnerved by this performance. I was initially unsettled by my confusion as I attempted to make meaning from the piece; this feeling heightened by being up close and personal to every squeak of a shoe, every grunt and every droplet of sweat. There were times when, as the music swelled, and the blackness caved in, and the performers ran in a circle yelling and crying, and the light was moved on its track so swiftly that we thought it would come crashing down, that the performance was almost scary. Some will be moved by Sunstruck, but many, like myself, will come away feeling unsure of what it was we witnessed.
Kathryn has been involved in a variety of productions over the past ten years, performing in both musicals and plays. She has worked in all facets of theatre; on production teams, backstage, as a costumer and set designer and as a performer. Last year, she directed and choreographed MDMS’ production of Jesus Christ Superstar, performed in the 80s group for SLAMS’ Skirts and was the costume designer for Players’ Hot Mikado.
State:
VIC