Adelaide Fringe. The Tuxedo Cat. 16th March 2013.
Only a supremely confident theatre company would lead its audience up endless flights of steps, leave them standing in a dimly lit space in front of a black curtain, and then plunge them into total darkness for 45 minutes. Alone. In the dark.
The Riverland Youth Theatre did just that with ‘In The Dark’. And it worked.
Inside a cavernous upstairs space within Tuxedo Cat, the silent audience was treated to a montage of short scenes illuminated alternately by flickering lights, no lights at all, car spot lights, coloured fluorescent light sticks, and accompanied by pre-recorded performer voices, sudden disconnected sound bursts, and silences.
The theme? Being young is hard going and can be very isolating (even though parents are there to listen), with each youth facing their own demons. Is it any wonder that when young people come together there is the possibility of destructive behaviour . . . but also communion with each other.
A thought-provoking and never dull production directed by Olivia Allen and devised, written, and performed by the team of Robert Baulderstone, Justin, Jordan and Taliah Ebert, Paige Evans, Shaylee Kassulke, Nicola OʼFarrell, Hebe Ingle, Sally Mills and Ebony Pierik. It is the result of a long period of creative development with Waikerie High School, Loxton High School and Glossop High School students and performances around the Riverland.
The production was supported by a large crew both on site and during development; a true community effort. What struck me as I stood silently within the audience, huddled as it was in small groups or singly, was the adept use of the space. The action was seamless and in short moments of total blackout, the ten young performers moved with stealth and incredible speed to the next scene which could be anywhere in the large space.
Three scenes stand out. In what seemed like several small tie die tents, hand shadow images were made by performers in the tents with pre-recorded dialogue echoing around the space. Another much longer scene was enacted at the back of what might have been a country farm house. A teen party with loud rock and roll, boozing, mischief making and the inevitable vomit Facebook photos that would shame the subjects the next day. The third, at the same farm house, presented a group of young people just hanging out together, sharing simple companionship.
Then the climactic final scene where the hugeness of the space was revealed by a stellar night time sky projected on pillars and walls and suddenly the audience was shot through by horizontal shafts of white light . . . with not a cast member in sight.
No curtain call; no bows; no cast. Just an audience standing silently lit only by the shafts of light, reflecting on what it meant to be young . . . until one or two made a move towards the exit where we were greeted by the cast, and in a novel twist, each handed a program.
This production, in its own unique way, brought city audiences into contact with the authentic voice of contemporary youth. Bravo RYT.
Martin Christmas
When: Closed.
Where: The Tuxedo Cat.
Bookings: Closed.
