Images courtesy of the artistLife’s lessons. Do you remember the first time in your experience that you learned these lessons?
Big hART has again accomplished what government, business and even other performance companies - under the influence of the today’s market economy - struggle to do. They have engaged in a rich and abundant consultation with community and not only pulled off a production, but opened up a dialogue creating mutual understanding between generations and marginalised communities - both young and old. With a company of 301, This is Living is an epic as far as stage productions and community consultation go.
The story at the heart of the play happens centre-stage as Morgan (Bruce Myles), Jan (Anne Grigg) and Ron (Lex Marinos) carryout their love triangle with all of its mistakes and consequences. Everything runs smoothly until Morgan retires and Ron succumbs to motor neuron disease (MND). Bruce Myles delivered a convincing and lovable, self-absorbed prick of a retired photographer; he shined. Anne Griggs is darling, real and raw - she strings us along like the two men in her life. Lex Marinos is convincing in his love for life and his portrayal of a disease slowly eating away his dignity. MND can’t be an easy disease to pull off convincingly.
This is Living becomes not just a play but a living, breathing organism that unfolds and overlaps in several layers. In the foreground are throngs of senior citizens (a new cast for each location) floating and waltzing like apparitions, providing soundscape and even lighting crew for the action on stage. They are almost invisible to us, even though in the foreground of our senses. This “chorus” provide context for the actors and the photographic projections in stream-of-conscious echoes.
The Dunaways operate stage-left of the story providing a well crafted and heartfelt soundtrack, but often accompany Anne Griggs lovely voice in a sickeningly soppy sweet electric folk lamentation - a soft music theatre that is fortunately not sustained for too long.
When the drama crescendos throughout the production, the skaters and their death metal racket are unleashed behind the stage. They careen down their ramps at breakneck speed - no fear, no inhibition. They pull off the scripted stereotype of “scary youth” quite well. I dearly hope their placement in the far, far backdrop of the production was symbolic of their marginalised status in society. Otherwise, their appearance seemed perfunctory.
The projection design in the skatepark back drop is the most successful, but fails in its attempts to connect us and knit the senior citizens layer with its projected black and white photographs. Certainly a lot of effort went in to collecting and sourcing them, but the audience just couldn’t see them! The projections on the foreground bodies were bright and distracting. Looked like projection for projection’s sake - a cardinal sin in lighting design, I reckon.
Even as you enter the performance you can have your choice of knitted knick-knacks or lammies at the CWA stall and watch firsthand the unbridled confidence and too-cool-for-school demeanour of the skatepark youth. The curtain call revealed a unified young and old - kids walking and chatting with their elders in excitement, elders joining in the mosh pit. This is Living tackles life’s lessons with courage and bold sensitivity. They ask the hard questions and then proactively find these solutions locally. It was a great triumph for Big hART and Scott Rankin in its inception, even if a bit raw in its final delivery. This undertaking wasn’t easy. This must be living.
Big hART & Ten Days on the Island present
THIS IS LIVING
Writer & Director Scott Rankin
WYNYARD
Wharf Hotel Theatre, cnr Goldie & Moore Streets
20 & 21 March at 7.30pm
LATROBE
Memorial Hall, Gilbert Street
26 & 27 March at 7.30pm
GLENORCHY
Derwent Entertainment Centre, Brooker Highway
30 & 31 March & 1 April at 7.30pm
FRANKLIN
Palais Theatre, Huon Highway
4 April at 7.30pm & 5 April at 2pm
Duration: 2hrs (Interval)
Tickets: $24, Concession $18, Family $64 (2 Adults, 2 Children)
For Glenorchy performance, tickets are also available from Derwent Entertainment Centre
(03) 6273 0233
Bookings: www.tendaysontheisland.com
Visit: www.thisisliving.org.au and www.bighart.org
Sara Wright is an artist and creative consultant in Hobart
This review is part of arts@work’s Critical Acclaim program, designed to increase critical analysis of the arts.