By Chenoeh Miller. Little Dove Theatre Art. The Courtyard Studio. 2 Dec 2015

 

Entering the dim, surreal theatre space housing Evangeline is like walking into a bar in Twin Peaks. While white-faced, wild-haired women in red dresses repetitively gyrate and convulse to offbeat tunes, I half expect a little man to hobble over and whisper something abstract in my ear. Welcome to the world of butoh.

 

While I have seen butoh utilised before in other productions, it has always been as a passive observer. Evangeline is a wholly interactive take on the art form that gently invites you to immerse yourself into both the performance and the performers’ experience.

 

With an overall theme that tackles the experience of grief, Evangeline is a pretty intense ride in the beginning. The grotesque faces, violent emotions and adrenalin-provoking soundtrack flood your senses, stunning you like a deer in the headlights.

 

It is at the moment of greatest overwhelm that the audience is encouraged to literally reach out and touch the performers (Erica Field, Alicia Jones, Ruby Rowat and Peta Ward), who then respond organically in turn. These two world’s meeting is what makes Evangeline so fascinating to watch.

 

As some of the brave souls (including me) in attendance first approach the performers, they are hesitant. As in real life, it can be scary to reach out to people during times of turmoil and the experience during Evangeline is no different. But as their confidence grows they merge into some beautifully tender, even playful, scenarios and inspire others to give it a go too.

 

Essentially the performers serve as an emotional conductor, with the audience permitted to act out the innermost feelings and instinctive responses stirred up by the upheaval – and it is the most powerful and compelling theatre I’ve ever experienced.

 

It’s actually quite risky making audience participation a feature of a show, given the unpredictable nature of this kind of experiment. For many people, the thought of the audience becoming part of the show is enough to make them want to run away screaming – or at the very least paralysed in their seat. In the somewhat reserved capital of Australia, doubly so.

 

Fortunately the risk pays off – in large part due to the evening’s careful facilitation by creator, Chenoeh Miller – but also because of the intimacy of the setting that makes it feel safe for people to be emotionally present and vulnerable.

 

Equally though, one could not pull off such a feat without the talents of the performers. It’s hats off to Field, Jones, Rowat and Ward, whose borderline paranormal level of focus, as well as their own bravery and vulnerability made Evangeline such as privilege to experience.

 

As with Miller’s previous work, the distinct ambience she and her production team create is a strong feature. Although Evangeline has quite an avant-garde flavour, it lacks the accompanying alienation that it sometimes evokes in a wider audience. Quite the contrary, this work is highly accessible and engaging. The carefully crafted soundscape by Dane Alexander is especially memorable and plays a key role in the production reaching its full potential.

 

Evangeline is a show that Canberra would get to see once in a blue moon, and I really hope the public is ready for it. It’s a rare chance for people to get outside of their comfort zones and challenge themselves in a controlled but exhilarating environment. This is an experience too profound to miss.

 

Deborah Hawke

 

When: 5 Dec 

Where: Continues at the Canberra Theatre Centre

Bookings: canberratheatrecentre.com.au