THE INDEPENDENTS: FESTIVAL OF NEW WORKS

 

The Independents: Festival of New Works.

 The Courtyard Studio. Canberra Theatre Centre. October 10-11 2026. Bookings:: 62752700 or canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

Mikelangelo In The Belly of the Whale

 Co-created by Michael Simic and Tracy Bourne

 The self-appointed Nightingale of the Adriatic and Bull of the Balkans, Mikelangelo, alter ego of Michael Simic goes solo in his autobiographical account of his difficult balancing act as husband, father, the son of a complex father and a nationally renowned artist. Can singer, songwriter, musician, performer and former Canberra Artist of the Year Simic sway a packed audience in the Courtyard Studio without the support of the Black Sea Gentlemen. Can he charm the audience without the backing of an Adelaide Cabaret Festival Ban?. Can the Balkan Elvis send shivers down your spine with his rich baritone voice? The answer is a resounding yes.

 

But Simic is not merely alone with his trademark accordion, guitar and clarinet to tell the story of a journey across the metaphorical sea that will eventually thrust him on a search for true identity in the belly of a sperm whale. He is the Captain Ahab of his own life’s journey, accompanied by his charmed crew of mesmerized audience members ready at the slightest urging to la la along or join in the shanty to weather the storm that hurls our intrepid hero into the belly of the whale, where he finally confronts the home truths that he must face with Mikelangelo.

 Mikelangelo In The Belly of the Whale is a tender and personal account of the tranquil and turbulent seas that many artists must face. Simic is the consummate entertainer, the captivating storyteller and the Svengali of willing audience participation. With co-creator and director Tracy Bourne, Simic weaves a rollicking yarn that hoists the sails on an artist’s struggles to balance the ballast of his life. Like Jonah his epiphany comes with the struggle through the Sphincter into the light of revelation. As the song says, “It ain’t necessarily so.” (Struggling through the sphincter I mean).

 Simic’s personal and heartfelt account of his life and the battles that he faces makes for a thoroughly enjoyable and at times surpirising hour in the company of a caring husband, a loving father, a compassionate family man and an entertainer who never fails to give his audiences a whale of a time.

 

Ichor.

Directed by John Fabry. Cast: John Fabry, Mario Panucci, Bayley Prendergast, Anthony King, and Callum Stephens.

 

The meaning of contemporary dance and physical theatre so often rests in the interpretation of the beholder. So it is with the second show of The Independents’ double bill. Nothing could be in greater contrast to Mikelangelo In The Belly Of The Whale than John Fabry’s sinewy dance piece, Ichor. Five male dancers including Fabry  enter the stage. They each wear loin cloths and are marked with patterns of black streaks and tribal markings. Their bodies ripple with muscularity and youthful vigour, elastic in their steely physicality. Fabry’s choreography lends primeval animalism to their corporality. It is strong, sinewy and confronting in its subversive aggression. It is unabashedly masculine, admirable in its physical strength and fine physique. But what does it all mean- the leaps, the growls, the beating rhythms of sticks upon the tarquet, the conformity and the eviction of the outcast individual?

 The Greek word Ichor refers to fluid that flows like blood through the veins of the Gods or a watery fluid emanating from a wound. In the absence of a programme, the spectator is left to wonder. At times, while two dancers explore the mystery of sexual attraction, others raise their hands in supplication to a possible higher authority. Am I witnessing the evolution of the human animal, from the tribal collective to communication to sexuality to the development of language, repeatedly uttered in an incomprehensible tongue to the audience? Possibly. And then again perhaps not.

 

Without a clearer indication of intent, the work becomes repetitive and mystifying. The dancers are agile, virile and expressive in their choreography as they progress from individual dance to ensemble interaction. I couldn’t help feeling that a shorter work with the explanation of the theme and content would have made for a far more satisfying experience. Refer to the Bangarra programmes with their detailed and helpful notes.

 The Canberra Theatre Centre is to be applauded for providing artists with the opportunity to experiment with new work and a platform for community to witness the diversity of arts practice. In the case of Ichor, an outside eye may have resolved some of the issues that detracted from a potentially powerful piece.