By Jennifer Beasley.
Outstanding. An incredible blend of AV, dance and surrealism reflects the lives of disabled individuals in this metatheatrical production.
With only about 6% of plays and films centring on disabilities, those of us able-bodied can lose sight that the physical appearance is only the mask that obscures the irrefutable fact: every human everywhere has wants, needs and desires.
Weave Movement Theatre (WMT) are one of the first theatres in Victoria to produce plays involving both abled and disabled actors. Set up by Janice Florence (Artistic Director and actor) and Trevor Dunn (winner of the 2024 Green Room Award for Outstanding Dance) in 1997, WMT has workshopped this piece with Choreographer Rebecca Jensen, Sound Artist Marco Cher and Film-maker Zoe Scoglio since 2022.
This play is hard to define. A clever mix of audio, mobile cameras, floating screens, mime, dance and breaking the fourth wall present a bespoke metatheatrical event unlike anything I have seen before. For that all the cast and creatives should congratulate themselves as this is an outstanding 60 minute play, full of humour and pathos.
Starting with three of the actors at a table, Janice Florence, Trevor Dunn, and Anthony Riddell, with two of the other actors lying on the floor – Emma Norton and David Baker (also with Rollercoaster Theatre), the audience, through voiceovers, gets a glimpse into how the day starts for these individuals. Utilising cameras and mics, this is part documentary/mockumentary, as each person describes events akin to out of body experiences.
The play/experience picks up pace and leads then into snippets of each person’s lived experiences, exploring the divide between opportunities and exclusions through this mixed media world. Some outline how they became disabled. The play becomes poetic and ethereal. Majestic music uplifts and the actors take flight. Seemingly random scenes are seamed together as a ‘Flesh Mirror’, the thematic elements consistently driving home their intention.
Florence, a dancer, swirls around in her electric wheelchair. We swirl with her, her POV encapsulated in the camera on wheels operated by an assistant as Florence navigates a space between realities. We are her and she is us.
Riddell, a writer, describes his accident, as Sonia Marcon repeats his words from the screen. She is the conduit, the doppelganger, whose ability to transverse ‘the thin places’ is the bridge to connection.
Dunn calls like a bird to Florence, both dancing around each other, a tender yet funny love scene of shared experiences.
Superstar Norton, a fan blowing her hair, backlite like a pop star, she dances in a slow controlled body wave.
Others dancing, a mime in the background. A credit to Chorographer Jensen for her innovative approach. David Baker does a brilliant job here, his Matrix apparel, tee shirt emblazed with Flesh Mirror/Flesh Monger, and I’m The Dreamer/You May Say, as a commentary on the performance. The assistants, Emma Norton, Rebecca Jensen and Marco Cher also wearing tee shirts with Passing Comments. A notation perhaps on the unkind mutterings that those who are disabled hear every day.
The large stage of the Arts House is perfectly lit, thanks to the skills of Harrie Hogan and the sound design by Marco Cher meant that the packed house could hear every word. Not an easy feat in such a large space.
The final scene that pulls this incredible work together, David Baker as John Lemon (dressed spot on perfect as John Lennon, wonderful costume by Geoffrey Watson), tries valiantly to keep the microphone to sing Imagine, as his compatriots via for the spotlight is slapstick funny and the best laugh I’ve had for a long time.
This is an extraordinary play. If I can offer feedback, it would be to tighten up the opening sequence by shaving off 5 minutes.
A credit to all involved and very creative, without losing sight of the theme and actor’s voices.
Well done.
