Review: Are we not drawn onward to new erA at Heath Ledger Theatre
Are we not drawn onward to new erA at Heath Ledger Theatre
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Are we not drawn onward to new erA is a strikingly unique and poignantly relevant social and eco-political performance piece from acclaimed Belgian theatre troupe Ontroerend Group. The Ontrorend Group last visited for Perth Festival 2013 with A History of Everything, an innovative reflection on humankind's journey thus far, meaning that the announcement of the Group's return to Perth Festival 2024 with Are we not drawn came with high expectations.
Like its title, the actual performance of Are we not drawn is a mirror image of itself. The show's pallindromic arc sees the show commence and end in an incorporeal semblance of the Garden of Eden. The first two characters on stage are a man and a woman, who silently stand alongisde a tree that bears one glistening red apple. As opposed to the biblical Eden, this apple does not represent sin but rather a myriad of potential for humanity to explore, and with the first bite, four more characters join the stage to examine the tree, its dirt and the environment.
There is a sense of the uncanny about these characters; they look like everyday people in their dress and style, but when they speak, their language is unintelligible. Similarly, their actions and movements across the stage lack a nautral fluidity and rhythym, making them appear like robots or video game characters. As the audience will learn later, the characters actions and speech are backwards, and they are in fact part of the performance's non-linear narrative.
This disrupted timeline of the performance gives the audience an opportunity to explore humanity's impact on the planet and offers a multitude of perspectives on how to reverse the damage that humans have inflicted on the Earth's ecosystem. “Nothing is impossible” is the poignant motif that is repeated throughout the performance. Sometimes the message is backwards (think Twin Peaks Red Room), other times it is forwards (for reasons that will become apparent when you see the show), but the message, as a signifier of hope, remains the same. The play proffers that as humanity has taken the steps to where it is now, it is intrinsically logically possible to re-do or un-do any steps taken thus far.
Technically, the performance is dazzling. The actors display incredible precision and coordination as they execute the complex choreography of the show. The sound design and lighting are also impressive, creating a dramatic and immersive atmosphere.
Are we not drawn onward to new erA is a wonderful example of how a show that is refined in its most essential elements makes the largest reverbarations. The play's seamless combination and subversion of traditional theatre is triumphant, and culminates in themes that will stick and resonate in the minds of its audience.
MICHAEL HOLLICK
Photos by Mirjam Devriendt
