Sydney Reviews

Expectation. I love this word: good or bad, to have expectations means you still have a pulse! The audience amassed at the 'green door' near the 'red light' at the Lismore Showgrounds on Tuesday evening, where we were all hanging in expectation. The Lismore Showgrounds would certainly be a place that is used to 'expectation', with the diverse events that have occurred, and still occur, here. Many stories to tell, many more in the making.  Lismore has many battle scars, especially of late, and NORPA know this only too well.

I am RE-viewing this show, in situ, amongst a crowd who, knowing NORPA and their past history of live performance in strange places (anywhere that is not a designated theatre venue being 'strange') know fully well that this will be awesome. NORPA never disappoints (emphasis on NEVER) and tonight's performance is no exception to this rule. Commentary and vibe is shared at the door where we are assured, by fit-for-purpose NORPA volunteers, that "everyone will have a seat with a perfect view". Settle, pet, you are in for a treat. The crowd is varied and some of us (me included) want a seat. We are 'confused' to begin with, when the green door opens, and as the show unfolds, I know why this is 'orchestrated': Welcome – we are now sharing 'the journey', huge laugh from the audience on this one, my laugh spilling out over my 'best-ever-gluten-free-brownie' from the pop-up, Secret-Chef Roadhouse Diner!

Eva (in her many forms) embarks on a solo journey with us in tow. The music, lighting and warehouse set up is magical, mystical and ever-unfolding. How do they do it? We are on the road with Eva, sharing her fears, her frustration, her anger, her road-less-travelled and all of the characters she encounters on the Road to Nowhere (thanks Talking Heads, never more apt). We gasp when she gasps; we cringe when she cringes; we mentally applaud (not during the show, no, we must hang on every word, every nuance and embrace the magic, time for applauding later). Oh my. Ockerism at it's finest and the humour is palpable. Audience is fully connected now and what more can you want from live theatre? And this is LIVE theatre. They breathe, we breathe: they stop, we stop. Please don't stop! 

The props (you cannot call them props – these are little miracles, many on wheels) and the animals, the skins and the costumes – what a team of creatives. The mind boggles and the show moves on. Music, lighting, more fog, more characters we all know, see and hear in our daily Ozzie lives – more mystery, more situations, oh so familiar if you live in the country! 

Now at this point you may wonder, why am I not revealing anything about this show apart from my gasps of enjoyment? Because, this is a show you must experience for yourself. To even let one road-kill out of the bag would be such a spoiler-alert, I couldn't live with myself. Eva couldn't live with herself and her situation any longer and she took herself out onto the road less travelled, in her mind, heart and soul, and took the audience with her. When we were waiting for the show to commence, on the slow walk through the ghost-showground, up the path (of enlightenment, soon, my precious) one of the 'punters' walking alongside me said, "wonder what this show will be like, my friend told me to just come ... I don't like to know anything before the show". Took the words right out of my mouth. My companion (it was his birthday, what a present) asked, "So what are we in for?" Having seen this show several years ago, I replied, "Not a word from me will you hear about what to expect!" 

One hour and fifteen minutes later our lives had changed. Yes, for the better. Enlightenment is like that! A reminder to many how to embrace life, and change, if needed. Some of the audience, filing out, were already busting to share their viewpoints. I was thrilled to hear two gents speaking, saying, "yeah, I can see this is totally feasible". Bumping into two local friends, gushing, pumped, saying, "I LOVED the dancing."  Walking commentary from varietal audience members, "The music, wow, wonder if they sell a soundtrack", "Now I know what to dress up as at the next costume party".

On departing any theatre (and shared experience), when the audience is talking about it all the way back to the carpark, you know that this joint-effort-showcase has worked on every level. My birthday companion nailed it to the stump when he said, "Well, I never expected that".

“I’m so excited to share this show with audiences – it is complex and layered while also being highly entertaining. It’s a work that explores narrative in a multi-dimensional way – there are different ways to interpret this story. Wildskin has been built through a very collaborative process with amazing local creatives and cast,” said Julian Louis, Wildskin director and Artistic Director of NORPA.

NORPA 'it takes a village' never disappoints. World class theatre at the Lismore Showgrounds. Who'd have thunk it, eh? Bravo and double bravo. Vote 1 NORPA.

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