By post (Zoe Coombs Marr, Mish Grigor and Natalie Rose) Directed
By Zoë Coombs Marr and Mish Grigor. Canberra Theatre. Thurs
Mar 15.
This eccentric show probably found its true audience in
front of a small group of college kids at a schools matinee.
Reminiscent of a year 8 improvisation that will last all
lesson if it is permitted, it started with scenes of gore from the classics,
complete with much fake blood. The crew then took forever to clean up the stage
to the accompaniment of opera then Mish Gregor and Shelly Lauman of company post went on to ironic discussions and increasingly long sections done by an
invited set of locals who worked impressively off autocue.
Some of this was musings on death. Some of it was a commentary on
theatrical styles and preoccupations and canon.
Moments of beauty arrived – ghosts in the traditional white
sheet with eye holes and a surprised ring-in wearing a niqab - as a possible
vision of the after life.
The show seemed to be testing out the traditional forms of
theatre somewhat like Beckett but without the intensity of feeling and
perception. We are not used to seeing this without theatrical tuning up. So we
were not altogether sure what it was saying at times.
There are expectations that it should be more conventional. We’re
trained to a sense of how long is long enough. But is that part of our cultural
theatrical conditioning? There are places in the world where performance starts
and stops without reference to western theatre rhythms.
Those college students will have plenty to ruminate on.
Alanna Maclean