Sydney Reviews

What can one choreographer and seventeen monks do with twenty-one coffin shaped wooden boxes?

The spectacular concert hall at the Sydney Opera House provides an interesting contrast to the sparse white space on stage. Monks from China’s Shaolin Temple use these boxes in a movement piece that incorporate the monks’ extensive training in Kung-Fu and Tai Chi.

Part of this year’s Spring Dance program at the Sydney Opera House, Sutra sees the monks team up with The Turner Prize-winning sculptor Antony Gormely and Moroccan-Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Gormely designed the boxes specifically for the show. The idea was inspired by seeing the cramped living conditions of factory girls when he visited China.

A childhood love of Bruce Lee prompted Sidi to make a pilgrimage to the Shaolin Temple to study Buddhist philosophies and eventually work with the Monks on the piece. Sidi’s onstage interaction with the monks is fascinating. He plays a grand creator, perhaps mimicking his own role as choreographer and playing with his miniature set of wooden boxes so the monks can replicate these patterns. His slow, elasticised movements present a striking contrast to the monks’ fast, tight moves.

A child monk is the liason between this great creator and the other monks. The performance opens with the child sitting opposite Sidi and mimicking his hand movements. The child cartwheels his way spectacularly around the stage and is an audience favourite throughout.

Half way through the show, the monks change into black suits with grey shirts. At one point the boxes are stacked liked shelves as the monks lie inside. Perhaps the suits represent city workers and this is a comment about the order that the city imposes on our lives.

The orchestral score was written by Polish composer Szymon Brzoska and is performed live on stage. It often has a high pitched fragmented feel. Drums, including Timpani drums, burst forth when the monks swirl swords or perform a flurry of acrobatic leaps.

This show is vastly superior to the cliché riddled Wind of Shaolin which the monks performed at the State Theatre in February last year. Gone are the cheesy love stories and the pink petals falling on stage. This is still a dance rather than martial arts piece, but the interesting geometry of the boxes and sparse set design make for a much more interesting and eye catching performance.


Sadler's Wells presents
SUTRA

Venue: Concert Hall | Sydney opera House

Dates: Thursday, 16 September 2010 8:00 p.m. 

Friday, 17 September 2010 8:00 p.m. 

Saturday, 18 September 2010 8:00 p.m. 

Sunday, 19 September 2010 5:00 p.m. POST SHOW Q&A

Duration: 70 minutes (no interval)
Bookings: www.sydneyoperahouse.com