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| Solomon Thomas and Steve Wilson-Smith in "Coil" - image Rosie Hastie |
Created by:
Mark Rogers, Solomon Thomas, Steve Wilson-Alexander and Carly Young.
Performed
by: Rose Maher, Solomon Thomas, Steve Wilson-Alexander
Video Design
by Solomon Thomas – Screenplay by Mark Rogers
Set Design
by Carly Young – Automation Programming by Chris Howell
The Q,
Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, August 8th & 9th.
Performance
on 8th August reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.
This intriguing
group-devised exploration of experimental video-theatre is an elegy about
loneliness, nostalgia and friendship.
Presented in
the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre as part of an extensive national tour, “Coil”
is performed in a realistic reproduction of a suburban video shop complete with
videos, DVD, and movie posters. This occupies one side of the stage, and a huge
video screen is arranged on the other.
Steve
Wilson-Alexander plays Steve, a charming video store proprietor, who casually addresses
the audience as if it were one of his regular customers. Steve reminisces about
the demise of video shops, his favourite movies, his favourite actors, and his
favourite way of spending time (watching his favourite movies on video). He offers
information about his friends; their favourite movies, favourite actors etc.
%20Lucy%20Parakhina.jpg) |
| Steve Wilson-Alexander - Rose Maher - Solomon Thomas in "Coil" - image: Lucy Parakhina |
Then he introduces
his friends, Rose Maher and Solomon Thomas, and confides that the three of them
are making a movie. He invites the audience to watch them make it.
Rose settles
on a computer on one side of the stage while Solomon operates a hand held video
camera and they immediately set about quickly filming a series of filler shots
with Steve playing all the roles. These shots are filmed out of sequence and
make no sense.
Once they
are satisfied they have enough material, they quickly assemble it and run the
film in real time; technology blurring reality and fantasy with results that
are hilarious and fascinating.
As the filming
and the movie progresses however, the audience finds itself privy to a
conversation between Steve and Rose, during which Rose accuses Steve of living
in the past rather than face the future. Refusing to be caught up in his life
any longer she ends the friendship.
This clever
weaving of fantasy and reality, live theatre and technology is not only subtly subversive;
it is also hugely entertaining and unexpectedly moving. But best of all, it leaves
the audience with unanswered questions about life, technology and the future.
%20Lucy%20Parakhina.jpg) |
| Solomon Thomas - Stever Wilson-Alexander in "Coil" - image: Lucy Parakhina. |
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au