Melbourne Reviews

There is so much to like about this sprawling, innovative 'performance installation' from Stompin. As creators of site-specific, large-scale work, the Launceston-based company for young dancers rarely brings its work interstate – I count myself lucky to have experienced this recent Melbourne season of Home.

Originally created in 2006 by artistic director Luke George and former co-artistic director Bec Reid for an acclaimed Launceston season at Roberts Wool Store, 'Home' is performed in an ingenious 40 metre-long recycled cardboard house created by architecture students from the University of Tasmania.

North Melbourne's old Meat Market – recently converted into a cavernous performance venue – served as an ideal space to reassemble the set for this second incarnation of the work, which combined some new Melbourne dancers together with performers from the original cast to make up the 26-strong cast.

In a format reminiscent of a theme park ride, the show departs every five minutes with a guiding dancer leading a party of ten people through the house. Audience members are subject to a rollercoaster of emotions as they move from room to room; from start to finish, the sense of anticipation and curiosity the work provokes is intense.

Inspired by 'the place we live and the living we create', for the dancers Home is a rich hothouse of personal experience and intimate memories made physical: the sense of dislocation and frustration of the living room, where the line between reality and unreality is blurred; the dinner-party-turned-nasty of the dining room (awesome, committed performances from Zac Lister, Alison Orr and Madeline Huett) which made for seductive viewing; the immaculate, all-smiling, happy families, 1950's-inspired superficiality of the kitchen; a gripping bathroom solo from guiding dancer Georgie Midson, trapped in a shower at the mercy of her anxiety and fears, an animal in captivity; the dream-like state of the bedroom – transient, removed.

The conviction and depth of these young performers was impressive, the set an ingenious concept taking the movement to a new level. Here's to many more return seasons of this stirring, engaging work!


Arts House presents
Home
Made by Stompin

Venue: Arts House, Meat Market, 5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne
Dates: Wednesday 12 - Sunday 16 September
Time: Wednesday - Saturday 7.30pm, 8pm and 8.30pm, Sunday - 7pm, 7.30pm and 8pm (45 min)
Tickets: Full $20 / Conc $15
Bookings: www.easytix.com.au/artshouse or 03 9639 0096
More Info: www.stompin.net