Co-Directors: Emily
Sheehan and Kyle Walmsley
Canberra Youth
Theatre
Gorman Arts Centre to
20 October
Reviewed by Len Power
18 October 2018
Canberra Youth Theatre’s latest production takes place
outdoors in the Gorman Arts Centre courtyard.
‘Faster’ refers to the increasing momentum of change that
teenagers are subjected to in this day and age in the journey to
adulthood. It’s a troubling journey made
all the more problematic when teenagers feel they are under the spotlight and
being observed and judged every step of the way.
Devised by the group of enthusiastic performers aged 14 to
17 years with co-directors Emily Sheehan and Kyle Walmsley, it’s a high energy
production in which the drama emerges mainly through movement. There are no individual characters, given the
theme of the show, making it difficult to feel much involvement with the issues
raised. It almost seemed like the group
were in a soulless prison environment with orders being barked at them from an
unseen authority. The frequent repetition
sequences added to a sense of distance from the experience. The underlying theme of the production was
obscured by this form of presentation.
The show has a good atmosphere due to a well thought out
lighting design by Emerging Lighting Designer, Ethan Hamill, and another of
Kimmo Vernonnen’s clever sound designs.
The wisteria, blooming around the courtyard, was giving out
a strong scent and the courtyard’s large tree looked beautiful with the light
spilling from the production. The changing
colours of the sky at sunset gave the show a glorious backdrop, too.
The limited seating consisted of some chairs, stools, bean
bags and cushions. That’s fine if you’re
as young as the cast but potential torture for older, less flexible people. There was a bit of a scramble by audience members
to get something to sit on. Luckily, the
show had a short running time.
Rehearsal photo supplied by the company.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast in his ‘On Stage’ performing arts radio program on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 3.30pm on Artsound FM 92.7.
